78742 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 32% of adults in 78742 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78742, ~21% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~68% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78742 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 78742 leans more Democratic than 12 of 39 neighbors.
78742 runs about 48 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78742 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 78742 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 78742, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
78742 votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while 78742 runs about 48 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 45% of adults in 78742 have never been married, above 92% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 78742, 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 78742 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78742 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 37%, about 16 points below the Texas average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 61% of households in 78742 rent, about 36 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 61% of adults in 78742 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction 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.