27871 leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 27871 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 27871, ~42% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 27871 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 27871 leans more Democratic than 9 of 10 neighbors.
27871 runs about 21 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 27871 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 27871. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+32) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+22), a spread of about 54 points.
Why 27871 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 27871, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
27871 votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 27871 runs about 21 points more Democratic.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 27871, NC sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 27871 looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 27871 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. 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 North Carolina 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.