27986 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 67% of adults in 27986 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 27986, ~41% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 27986 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 27986 leans more Democratic than 7 of 10 neighbors.
27986 runs about 25 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 27986 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 27986. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+33) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+4), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 27986 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 27986, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 54% of adults in 27986 have never been married, well above similar-sized zip codes (around 36%). 27986 runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 27986, NC 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 27986 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 27986 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 15 points below the North Carolina average of 61%. 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.