87122 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 90% of adults in 87122 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87122, ~49% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87122 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87122 leans more Democratic than 6 of 24 neighbors.
Politically, 87122 sits close to the rest of New Mexico.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 87122. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+18) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+8), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 87122 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 87122, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 73% of adults in 87122 hold a bachelor's degree, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 87122 sits in the top fifth on density (about 83%, above 84% of zip codes).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 87122, NM sits in the top quarter 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 87122 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 87122 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 78%, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 89% of households in 87122 own their home, compared to around 59% in nearby zip codes. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 87122 have completed high school, above 94% 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.