78228 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 39% of adults in 78228 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78228, ~25% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~61% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78228 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78228 leans more Democratic than 38 of 56 neighbors.
78228 runs about 42 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78228 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78228. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+35) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+24), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 78228 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 78228, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 78228 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 42% of adults in 78228 have never been married, above 90% of zip codes. 78228 runs against the grain of Texas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 78228, TX sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 78228 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78228 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 44%, about 9 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 42% of households in 78228 rent, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 74% of adults in 78228 have completed high school, below 96% 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.