28212 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 28212 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28212, ~36% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28212 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28212 leans more Democratic than 21 of 30 neighbors.
28212 runs about 52 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28212 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28212. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+56) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+36), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 28212 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 28212, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in 28212 live in densely developed areas, about 58 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in 28212 have never been married, above 94% of zip codes. 28212 runs against the grain of North Carolina, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 28212, NC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 28212 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28212 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 12 points below the North Carolina average of 61%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 61% of households in 28212 rent, compared to around 43% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 31% of adults in 28212 report food insecurity, above 94% 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.