78231 is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 78231 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78231, ~36% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78231 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78231 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 15 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 40 leaning the other way.
78231 runs about 16 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78231 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78231. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+8) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+13), a spread of about 22 points.
Why 78231 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 78231, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
78231 votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78231 runs about 16 points more Democratic.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 78231, TX sits in the top quarter 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 78231 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 78231 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 78231 have completed high school, above 95% 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.