87579 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 48% of adults in 87579 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87579, ~33% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87579 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87579 leans more Democratic than 7 of 8 neighbors.
87579 runs about 32 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 87579. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+50) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 30 points.
Why 87579 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 87579, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 38% of adults in 87579 have never been married, modestly above similar-sized zip codes (around 26%).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 87579, NM sits in the bottom quarter 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 87579 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 87579 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. 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.