78870 is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 57% of adults in 78870 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 78870, ~14% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 78870 compares
78870 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
78870 runs about 37 points more Republican than Texas as a whole.
Why 78870 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 78870, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in 78870 live in densely developed areas, about 31 points below the Texas average of 35%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 86% of households in 78870 are family households, above 98% of zip codes.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 78870, TX sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 78870 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 78870 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 47%, about 6 points below the Texas average of 54%. 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.