81650 leans Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 75% of adults in 81650 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 81650, ~26% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 81650 compares
81650 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
81650 runs about 40 points more Republican than Colorado as a whole. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81650 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 81650. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+50) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 21 points.
Why 81650 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 81650, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
81650 votes against the grain of Colorado. Colorado leans Democratic overall, while 81650 runs about 40 points more Republican.
Non-English at home and voter turnout
Places with a low non-English-at-home share tend to turn out at a higher rate; 81650, CO sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 81650 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 81650 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.