78681 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 78681 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78681, ~39% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78681 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78681 leans more Democratic than 5 of 25 neighbors.
78681 runs about 20 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78681 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78681. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+6), a spread of about 21 points.
Why 78681 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 78681, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 59% of adults in 78681 hold a bachelor's degree, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 78681 sits in the top fifth on density (about 79%, above 83% of zip codes). 78681 runs against the grain of Texas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 78681, TX sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 78681 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 78681 have completed high school, about 10 points above the Texas average of 86%. 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.