28173 leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 96% of adults in 28173 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28173, ~38% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28173 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28173 leans more Republican than 12 of 18 neighbors.
28173 runs about 16 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28173. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+51) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 39 points.
Why 28173 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 28173, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 88% of households in 28173 are family households, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 67%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 28173, NC sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 28173 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 28173 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 91% of households in 28173 own their home, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 28173 have completed high school, above 82% 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 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.