87820 leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 57% of adults in 87820 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 87820, ~22% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 87820 compares
87820 runs about 28 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 87820 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 87820. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+20), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 87820 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 87820, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
87820 votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 87820 runs about 28 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and 87820 sits in the bottom quarter on density (fewer than 1%, in the bottom fraction of zip codes).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 87820, NM sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 87820 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 87820 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 87820 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.