88118 is a Republican stronghold. About 10% of voters here vote Democratic and 90% Republican.
About 41% of adults in 88118 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88118, ~4% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88118 compares
88118 runs about 86 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88118 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 88118 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 88118, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
88118 votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88118 runs about 86 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 88118 sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 80% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 88118 are family households, above 79% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 88118, NM sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 88118 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 88118 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 29% of adults in 88118 report food insecurity, above 93% 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.