17104 is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 60% of adults in 17104 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 17104, ~47% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 17104 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 17104 leans more Democratic than 33 of 36 neighbors.
17104 runs about 61 points more Democratic than Pennsylvania as a whole. Pennsylvania is roughly evenly split, and 17104 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 17104. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+68) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+54), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 17104 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 17104, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 95% of residents in 17104 live in densely developed areas, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 17104 have never been married, above 88% of zip codes. 17104 runs against the grain of Pennsylvania, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 17104, PA 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 17104 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 17104 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 18 points below the Pennsylvania average of 64%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 58% of households in 17104 rent, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 17104 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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 Pennsylvania Department 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.