53209 is a Democratic stronghold. About 87% of voters here vote Democratic and 13% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 53209 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 53209, ~63% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 53209 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 53209 leans more Democratic than 40 of 46 neighbors.
53209 runs about 75 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and 53209 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 53209. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+88) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+40), a spread of about 48 points.
Why 53209 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 53209, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 97% of residents in 53209 live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 51% of adults in 53209 have never been married, above 95% of zip codes. 53209 runs against the grain of Wisconsin, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 53209, WI sits in the top 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 53209 looks the way it does
Turnout in 53209 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.