21849 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 78% of adults in 21849 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 21849, ~25% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 21849 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 21849 leans more Republican than 11 of 16 neighbors.
21849 runs about 65 points more Republican than Maryland as a whole. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 21849 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 21849. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+42) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+31), a spread of about 10 points.
Why 21849 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 21849, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
21849 votes against the grain of Maryland. Maryland leans Democratic overall, while 21849 runs about 65 points more Republican.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 21849, MD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 21849 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 21849 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 58%, below 66% 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.