78208 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 33% of adults in 78208 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78208, ~23% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~68% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78208 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78208 leans more Democratic than 52 of 54 neighbors.
78208 runs about 58 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78208 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78208. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+52) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+13), a spread of about 38 points.
Why 78208 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 78208, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 78208 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 53% of adults in 78208 have never been married, above 96% of zip codes. 78208 runs against the grain of Texas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 78208, TX sits in the bottom 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 78208 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78208 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 40%, about 14 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 73% of households in 78208 rent, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 78208 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.