88256 leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 88256 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88256, ~18% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88256 compares
88256 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
88256 runs about 45 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88256 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88256. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+66) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+30), a spread of about 36 points.
Why 88256 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 88256, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
88256 votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88256 runs about 45 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 88256 are family households, above 79% of zip codes.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 88256, NM sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 88256 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 88256 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 22%, about 6 points above the New Mexico average of 16%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in 88256 report food insecurity, above 89% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
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.