81521 leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 93% of adults in 81521 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81521, ~34% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81521 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 81521 leans more Republican than 6 of 9 neighbors.
81521 runs about 40 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81521 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81521. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+41) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+22), a spread of about 19 points.
Why 81521 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 81521, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
81521 votes against the grain of Colorado. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81521 runs about 40 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but 81521 runs against that pattern. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 81521 are family households, above 76% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 81521, CO sits above the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 81521 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 81521 have completed high school, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 90%. 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.