28209 leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 84% of adults in 28209 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28209, ~52% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28209 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28209 leans more Democratic than 19 of 36 neighbors.
28209 runs about 27 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28209 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28209. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+33) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+9), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 28209 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 28209, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 72% of adults in 28209 hold a bachelor's degree, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 28209 sits in the top fifth on density (more than 99%, above 96% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 45% of adults in 28209 have never been married, above 92% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 28209, 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 28209 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 28209 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 98% of adults in 28209 have completed high school, above 92% 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.