81506 leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 86% of adults in 81506 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81506, ~38% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81506 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 81506 leans more Republican than 2 of 10 neighbors.
81506 runs about 22 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81506 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81506. The northwest side is the most split-leaning (R+26) and the southwest side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 81506 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 81506, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
81506 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 76%, far above the Colorado average of 35%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. 81506 runs against the grain of Colorado, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 81506, CO sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 81506 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 81506 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. 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.