21797 leans slightly Republican by roughly 10 points: about 45% of voters vote Democratic and 55% Republican.
About 89% of adults in 21797 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21797, ~40% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~11% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21797 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21797 leans more Republican than 27 of 32 neighbors.
21797 runs about 39 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 21797 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21797. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+4) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+27), a spread of about 30 points.
Why 21797 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 21797, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 86% of households in 21797 are family households, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 67%. 21797 runs against the grain of Maryland, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; 21797, MD sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 21797 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21797 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in 21797 own their home, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 75%. 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.