78543 is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% Republican.
About 46% of adults in 78543 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78543, ~23% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78543 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78543 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 20 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 0 leaning the other way.
78543 runs about 16 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78543 sits closer to the political middle.
Why 78543 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 78543, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
78543 votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78543 runs about 16 points more Democratic.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 78543, TX sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 78543 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78543 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 46%, about 8 points below the Texas average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 78% of adults in 78543 have completed high school, below 94% of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 78543 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.