28616 is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 28616 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 28616, ~14% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 28616 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 28616 leans more Republican than 5 of 10 neighbors.
28616 runs about 52 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Why 28616 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 28616, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 98% of residents in 28616 drive to work alone, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 77% of households in 28616 are family households, above 86% of zip codes.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; 28616, NC sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 28616 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 28616 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. 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.