28205 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 28205 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28205, ~46% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28205 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28205 leans more Democratic than 23 of 33 neighbors.
28205 runs about 51 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28205 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28205. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+64) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+40), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 28205 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 28205, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 98% of residents in 28205 live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 28205 sits in the top quarter (about 47%, above 87% of zip codes). 28205 runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 28205, NC sits in the top tenth 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 28205 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28205 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 58% of households in 28205 rent, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 5% of homes in 28205 have more than one occupant per room, above 84% 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.