23701 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 71% of adults in 23701 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 23701, ~48% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 23701 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 23701 leans more Democratic than 23 of 40 neighbors.
23701 runs about 31 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 23701. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+87) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+17), a spread of about 104 points.
Why 23701 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 23701, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in 23701 is about 39%, about 33 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in 23701 have never been married, above 86% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 23701, VA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 23701 looks the way it does
Turnout in 23701 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.