78201 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 39% of adults in 78201 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78201, ~26% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~61% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78201 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78201 leans more Democratic than 49 of 59 neighbors.
78201 runs about 49 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78201 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78201. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+41) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+30), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 78201 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 78201, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 78201 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 78201 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes. 78201 runs against the grain of Texas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 78201, TX sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 78201 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78201 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 45%, about 9 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 46% of households in 78201 rent, compared to around 62% in nearby zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 78201 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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 Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.