53517 leans Democratic by roughly 26 points: about 63% of voters vote Democratic and 37% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 53517 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 53517, ~45% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 53517 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 53517 leans more Democratic than 9 of 10 neighbors.
53517 runs about 27 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and 53517 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 53517. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+30) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 33 points.
Why 53517 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 53517, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 42% of adults in 53517 hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 28%. 53517 runs against the grain of Wisconsin, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 53517, WI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 53517 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 53517 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 53517 have completed high school, above 93% 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.