78226 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 33% of adults in 78226 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78226, ~22% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~66% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78226 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78226 leans more Democratic than 37 of 51 neighbors.
78226 runs about 44 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78226 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78226. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+35) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+10), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 78226 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 78226, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 78226 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 48% of adults in 78226 have never been married, above 94% of zip codes. 78226 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; 78226, 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 78226 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78226 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 39%, about 14 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 54% of households in 78226 rent, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 70% of adults in 78226 have completed high school, below 98% 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 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.