87551 is a true toss-up. About 49% of voters here vote Democratic and 51% Republican.
About 46% of adults in 87551 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87551, ~23% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87551 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87551 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 2 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 0 leaning the other way.
87551 runs about 8 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole.
Why 87551 leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in 87551. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 87551, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 87551 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 87551 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of homes in 87551 have more than one occupant per room, in the top fraction of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 87551 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.