87517 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 96% of adults in 87517 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87517, ~67% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87517 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87517 leans more Democratic than 8 of 10 neighbors.
87517 runs about 34 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Why 87517 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 87517, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 43% of adults in 87517 hold a bachelor's degree, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; 87517, NM sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 87517 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. More than 99% of households in 87517 own their home, about 20 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 87517 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 87517 have completed high school, in the top fraction 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.