87020 leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 87020 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87020, ~26% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87020 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87020 leans more Republican than 3 of 5 neighbors.
87020 runs about 18 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 87020 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 87020. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+49) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 43 points.
Why 87020 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 87020, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
87020 votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 87020 runs about 18 points more Republican.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 87020, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 87020 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 87020 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in 87020 report food insecurity, above 89% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 82% of adults in 87020 have completed high school, below 88% of zip codes. 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 New Mexico Secretary of State, Bureau of 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.