21208 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 21208 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21208, ~54% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21208 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21208 leans more Democratic than 31 of 57 neighbors.
21208 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21208. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+81) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+10), a spread of about 71 points.
Why 21208 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 21208, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 50% of adults in 21208 hold a bachelor's degree, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 21208 sits in the top fifth on density (about 87%, above 86% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in 21208 have never been married, above 82% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 21208, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 21208 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21208 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 64%, above 61% 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.