23605 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 23605 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 23605, ~43% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 23605 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 23605 leans more Democratic than 35 of 45 neighbors.
23605 runs about 43 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 23605. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+14), a spread of about 50 points.
Why 23605 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 23605, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 98% of residents in 23605 live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in 23605 have never been married, above 95% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 23605, VA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 23605 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 56% of households in 23605 rent, about 31 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in 23605 report food insecurity, above 89% 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 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.