54538 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 67% of adults in 54538 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 54538, ~44% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 54538 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 54538 is the most Democratic-leaning.
54538 runs about 32 points more Democratic than Wisconsin as a whole. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, and 54538 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 54538. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+41) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+26), a spread of about 67 points.
Why 54538 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 54538, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
54538 votes against the grain of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is roughly evenly split, while 54538 runs about 32 points more Democratic.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 54538, WI sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 54538 looks the way it does
Turnout in 54538 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.