81226 leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 81226 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81226, ~28% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81226 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 81226 leans more Republican than 1 of 5 neighbors.
81226 runs about 31 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81226 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81226. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+9) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+53), a spread of about 62 points.
Why 81226 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 81226, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 13% of adults in 81226 hold a bachelor's degree, about 26 points below the Colorado average of 39%. 81226 runs against the grain of Colorado, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 81226, CO sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 81226 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 81226 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. 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 Colorado Secretary of State, Elections, 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.