23702 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 23702 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 23702, ~38% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 23702 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 23702 leans more Democratic than 27 of 41 neighbors.
23702 runs about 35 points more Democratic than Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 23702. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+52) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 34 points.
Why 23702 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 23702, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in 23702 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 47% of adults in 23702 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 23702, VA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 23702 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 23702 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 49% of households in 23702 rent, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in 23702 report food insecurity, above 92% 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.