28386 leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 51% of adults in 28386 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28386, ~19% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28386 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28386 leans more Republican than 9 of 10 neighbors.
28386 runs about 22 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28386. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+34) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+10), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 28386 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 28386, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 9% of adults in 28386 hold a bachelor's degree, about 18 points below the North Carolina average of 27%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 84% of residents in 28386 drive to work alone, above 85% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 28386, NC sits in the bottom 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 28386 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28386 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 45%, about 15 points below the North Carolina average of 61%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 37% of adults in 28386 report food insecurity, above 97% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 76% of adults in 28386 have completed high school, below 95% 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.