78726 leans Democratic by roughly 26 points: about 63% of voters vote Democratic and 37% Republican.
About 65% of adults in 78726 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78726, ~41% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78726 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78726 leans more Democratic than 17 of 40 neighbors.
78726 runs about 40 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78726 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 78726. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+30) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+11), a spread of about 42 points.
Why 78726 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 78726, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 65% of adults in 78726 hold a bachelor's degree, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in 78726 have never been married, above 81% of zip codes. 78726 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; 78726, TX sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 78726 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 78726 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 78726 have completed high school, above 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.