88021 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 53% of adults in 88021 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88021, ~28% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88021 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 88021 leans more Democratic than 12 of 17 neighbors.
Politically, 88021 sits close to the rest of New Mexico.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88021. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+16) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+9), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 88021 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 88021, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many never-married adults vote Democratic. About 37% of adults in 88021 have never been married, modestly above similar-sized zip codes (around 31%).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 88021, NM sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 88021 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 88021 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 44%, about 13 points below the New Mexico average of 58%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 41% of adults in 88021 report food insecurity, above 98% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 65% of adults in 88021 have completed high school, in the bottom 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.