28081 leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 79% of adults in 28081 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28081, ~33% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28081 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28081 leans more Republican than 10 of 20 neighbors.
28081 runs about 12 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28081. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+14) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+57), a spread of about 70 points.
Why 28081 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 28081, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
28081 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 63%, far above the North Carolina average of 27%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 28081 are family households, above 77% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 28081, NC sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 28081 looks the way it does
Turnout in 28081 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 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.