Oscura leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Oscura typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Oscura, ~29% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Oscura compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Oscura leans more Republican than 1 of 8 neighbors.
Oscura runs about 21 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while Oscura is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Oscura leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Oscura, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. Fewer than 1% of residents in Oscura live in densely developed areas, about 17 points below the New Mexico average of 18%. Oscura runs against the grain of New Mexico, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density, never-married share, and Republican lean
Places that combine low population density and a never-married-heavy adult population tend to lean Republican, as Oscura, NM does.
Why turnout in Oscura looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 92% of households in Oscura own their home, about 12 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Oscura sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Carrizozo, NM R+23
- Nogal, NM R+55
- Sierra Vista, NM R+22
- White Oaks, NM R+55
- Ponderosa Heights, NM D+28
- Alto, NM R+26
- Capitan, NM R+53
- Ruidoso, NM R+16
- Fort Stanton, NM R+41
- Ruidoso Downs, NM R+24
Cities with Similar Populations
- Alfarata, PA R+67
- Clementsville, TN R+75
- Springhope, PA R+67
- Kendaia, NY R+16
- Parrish, IL R+64
- Durbin, PA R+59
- Monticello, SC D+17
- Seney, MI R+54
- Seven Pines, WV R+55
- Kasson, WV R+66
All Local Stats
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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.