48209 leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 38% of adults in 48209 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 48209, ~25% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~62% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 48209 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 48209 leans more Democratic than 34 of 74 neighbors.
48209 runs about 31 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 48209 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 48209. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+36) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+10), a spread of about 27 points.
Why 48209 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 48209, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 48209 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in 48209 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes. 48209 runs against the grain of Michigan, a Democratic-leaning outlier in a roughly evenly split state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 48209, MI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 48209 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 48209 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 22 points below the Michigan average of 67%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 44% of adults in 48209 report food insecurity, in the top fraction of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 60% of adults in 48209 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of zip codes. 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.