Rio Rancho is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Rio Rancho typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rio Rancho, ~37% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rio Rancho compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rio Rancho leans more Republican than 22 of 24 neighbors.
Rio Rancho runs about 10 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rio Rancho. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+11), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Rio Rancho leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Rio Rancho. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Rio Rancho, NM sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Rio Rancho looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Rio Rancho is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Corrales, NM D+13
- Ranchitos, NM R+14
- Paradise Hills, NM D+6
- Bernalillo, NM D+10
- North Valley, NM D+14
- Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM D+26
- Albuquerque, NM D+14
- Placitas, NM D+34
- Algodones, NM D+51
Cities with Similar Populations
- Georgetown, TX R+15
- San Marcos, CA D+11
- Roswell, GA D+7
- Fayetteville, AR D+17
- Edison, NJ D+12
- North Charleston, SC D+37
- Lees Summit, MO Even
- West Covina, CA D+20
- Sandy, UT D+4
- Davie, FL Even
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.