28501 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 28501 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28501, ~51% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28501 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28501 is the most Democratic-leaning.
28501 runs about 42 points more Democratic than North Carolina as a whole. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28501 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 28501. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+77) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+29), a spread of about 106 points.
Why 28501 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 28501, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
28501 votes against the grain of North Carolina. North Carolina leans Republican overall, while 28501 runs about 42 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in 28501 have never been married, above 89% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 28501, NC sits above the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 28501 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28501 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 11 points below the North Carolina average of 61%. 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.