53203 is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 67% of adults in 53203 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 53203, ~53% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 53203 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 53203 leans more Democratic than 34 of 46 neighbors.
53203 runs about 59 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and 53203 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 53203. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+62) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+49), a spread of about 13 points.
Why 53203 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 53203, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 53203 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 53203 sits in the top quarter (about 60%, above 94% of zip codes). 53203 runs against the grain of Wisconsin, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 53203, WI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 53203 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 53203 have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. 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 Wisconsin Elections Commission, 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.