48197 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 79% of adults in 48197 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 48197, ~58% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 48197 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 48197 leans more Democratic than 15 of 21 neighbors.
48197 runs about 48 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 48197 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 48197. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+65) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+25), a spread of about 40 points.
Why 48197 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 48197, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 79% of residents in 48197 live in densely developed areas, about 43 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 48197 sits in the top quarter (about 48%, above 88% of zip codes). 48197 runs against the grain of Michigan, 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; 48197, MI sits in the top quarter 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 48197 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 48197 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 Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Michigan Department of State, 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.