21146 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 97% of adults in 21146 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21146, ~54% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~3% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21146 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21146 leans more Democratic than 15 of 41 neighbors.
21146 runs about 16 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21146. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+21) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 21146 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 21146, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in 21146 hold a bachelor's degree, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 21146, MD sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 21146 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21146 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 74%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 90% of households in 21146 own their home, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 21146 have completed high school, above 88% 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.