21046 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 77% of adults in 21046 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21046, ~58% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21046 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21046 leans more Democratic than 41 of 71 neighbors.
21046 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21046. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+60) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+37), a spread of about 23 points.
Why 21046 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 21046, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 61% of adults in 21046 hold a bachelor's degree, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 21046 sits in the top fifth on density (about 77%, above 82% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in 21046 have never been married, above 85% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 21046, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 21046 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21046 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 21046 have completed high school, above 92% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Maryland State Board of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.