78550 is a true toss-up. About 51% of voters here vote Democratic and 49% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 78550 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78550, ~24% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78550 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78550 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 11 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 0 leaning the other way.
78550 runs about 15 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78550 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78550. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+7), a spread of about 23 points.
Why 78550 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 78550, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
78550 votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78550 runs about 15 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 78550, 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 78550 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78550 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 48%, about 6 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 49% of households in 78550 rent, compared to around 21% in nearby zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 77% of adults in 78550 have completed high school, below 94% 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.