28203 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 80% of adults in 28203 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28203, ~55% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28203 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28203 leans more Democratic than 21 of 36 neighbors.
28203 runs about 41 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28203 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28203. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+59) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+26), a spread of about 33 points.
Why 28203 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 28203, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 79% of adults in 28203 hold a bachelor's degree, about 50 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 28203 sits in the top fifth on density (more than 99%, above 97% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 65% of adults in 28203 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 28203, NC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 28203 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 28203 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 28203 have completed high school, above 88% 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.