21746 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 21746 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21746, ~33% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21746 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21746 is the most Democratic-leaning.
21746 runs about 10 points more Democratic than Maryland as a whole.
Why 21746 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 21746, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 79% of adults in 21746 have never been married, far above similar-sized zip codes (around 27%).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 21746, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 21746 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 21746 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 45%, about 19 points below the Maryland average of 64%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 71% of adults in 21746 have completed high school, below 98% of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 21746 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.