Petaca leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Petaca typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Petaca, ~47% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Petaca compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Petaca leans more Democratic than 18 of 33 neighbors.
Petaca runs about 24 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Why Petaca leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Petaca. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Petaca, NM sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Petaca looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. More than 99% of households in Petaca own their home, about 20 points above the New Mexico average of 80%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Petaca sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lamadera, NM D+32
- Las Tablas, NM D+31
- Vallecitos, NM D+30
- Tres Piedras, NM D+37
- Carson, NM D+40
- El Rito, NM D+26
- Ojo Caliente, NM D+18
- Las Placitas, NM D+24
- Arroyo Hondo, NM D+39
- Embudo, NM D+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Yznaga, TX R+19
- Cairo, TN R+63
- Arickaree, CO R+80
- Mitchellsville, IL R+64
- Lynn, NC R+23
- Hawkinsville, TX R+63
- Wilders, IN R+48
- Chandler, OH R+58
- Wahalak, MS D+21
- Mackay Bar, ID R+25
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.