Ponderosa leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Ponderosa typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ponderosa, ~37% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ponderosa compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ponderosa leans more Democratic than 4 of 17 neighbors.
Ponderosa runs about 13 points more Democratic than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ponderosa. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+38) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 40 points.
Why Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 41% of adults in Ponderosa hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Park access and Democratic lean
Places with heavy park coverage tend to lean Democratic; Ponderosa, NM sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Ponderosa looks the way it does
Turnout in Ponderosa sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Jemez Pueblo, NM D+51
- Zia Pueblo, NM D+36
- Jemez Springs, NM R+3
- San Ysidro, NM D+35
- Cochiti Pueblo, NM D+38
- Seven Springs, NM R+2
- Sile, NM D+53
- Cochiti, NM D+38
- Cochiti Lake, NM D+38
- Pena Blanca, NM D+48
Cities with Similar Populations
- Acworth, NH R+27
- Center Hill, PA R+58
- Elrama, PA R+37
- Thomas Settlement, NY R+36
- Cold Stream, WV R+61
- Orleans Four Corners, NY R+45
- Middle Spring, PA R+46
- Pellettown, NJ R+37
- Klotzville, LA D+62
- Siglerville, PA R+66
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.