81401 leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 86% of adults in 81401 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81401, ~34% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81401 compares
81401 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
81401 runs about 31 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81401 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81401. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+36) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+9), a spread of about 27 points.
Why 81401 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 81401, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
81401 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 68%, far above the Colorado average of 35%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. 81401 runs against the grain of Colorado, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 81401, CO sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 81401 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 81401 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.