21701 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 75% of adults in 21701 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21701, ~50% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21701 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21701 leans more Democratic than 28 of 29 neighbors.
Politically, 21701 sits close to the rest of Maryland.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21701. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+53) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+3), a spread of about 50 points.
Why 21701 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 21701, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 74% of residents in 21701 live in densely developed areas, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 21701 sits in the top quarter (about 51%, above 90% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in 21701 have never been married, above 81% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 21701, MD sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 21701 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21701 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. 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.