81228 leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 65% of adults in 81228 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81228, ~30% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81228 compares
81228 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
81228 runs about 19 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81228 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81228. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+20), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 81228 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 81228, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 1% of residents in 81228 live in densely developed areas, about 34 points below the Colorado average of 35%. 81228 runs against the grain of Colorado, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 81228, CO sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 81228 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in 81228 own their home, about 19 points above the Colorado average of 75%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 81228 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 81228 have completed high school, above 95% 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 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.