79853 is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 41% of adults in 79853 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 79853, ~20% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~60% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 79853 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 79853 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 0 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 3 leaning the other way.
79853 runs about 15 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 79853 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 79853. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+11) and the west side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 79853 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 79853, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
79853 votes against the grain of Texas. Texas leans Republican overall, while 79853 runs about 15 points more Democratic.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a high uninsured rate tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 79853, TX does.
Why turnout in 79853 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 79853 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 46%, about 8 points below the Texas average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 44% of adults in 79853 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 79853 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.