23181 leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 88% of adults in 23181 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 23181, ~30% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 23181 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 23181 leans more Republican than 10 of 16 neighbors.
23181 runs about 38 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while 23181 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 23181. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 23181 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 23181, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
23181 votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while 23181 runs about 38 points more Republican.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 23181, VA sits below the national average on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 23181 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 23181 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 67%, about 7 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 Virginia Department 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.