85226 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 85226 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 85226, ~38% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 85226 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 85226 leans more Democratic than 21 of 42 neighbors.
85226 runs about 15 points more Democratic than Arizona as a whole. Arizona leans Republican overall, while 85226 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 85226. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+14) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 85226 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 85226, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 85226 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 85226 sits in the top quarter (about 51%, above 89% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in 85226 have never been married, above 84% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 85226, AZ sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 85226 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 97% of adults in 85226 have completed high school, about 10 points above the Arizona average of 87%. 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 Arizona 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.