88317 leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 88317 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88317, ~24% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88317 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 88317 is the least Republican-leaning.
88317 runs about 40 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88317 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88317. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+67) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+27), a spread of about 39 points.
Why 88317 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 88317, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 2% of residents in 88317 live in densely developed areas, about 16 points below the New Mexico average of 18%. 88317 runs against the grain of New Mexico, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; 88317, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 88317 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 91% of households in 88317 own their home, about 11 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 88317 have completed high school, above 98% 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.