53226 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 87% of adults in 53226 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 53226, ~56% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 53226 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 53226 leans more Democratic than 32 of 54 neighbors.
53226 runs about 29 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and 53226 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 53226. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+41) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+20), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 53226 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 53226, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 98% of residents in 53226 live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 53226 sits in the top quarter (about 61%, above 94% of zip codes). 53226 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; 53226, 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 53226 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 53226 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 53226 have completed high school, above 94% 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 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.