87731 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 87731 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87731, ~42% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87731 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 87731 leans more Democratic than 1 of 3 neighbors.
87731 runs about 9 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 87731. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+33) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+13), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 87731 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 87731, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 40% of adults in 87731 hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Renting and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; 87731, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 87731 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 97% of households in 87731 own their home, about 17 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 87731 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. 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.