48217 is a Democratic stronghold. About 93% of voters here vote Democratic and 7% Republican.
About 66% of adults in 48217 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 48217, ~61% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 48217 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 48217 leans more Democratic than 61 of 64 neighbors.
48217 runs about 88 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 48217 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 48217. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+89) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+13), a spread of about 75 points.
Why 48217 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 48217, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 48217 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 45% of adults in 48217 have never been married, above 92% of zip codes. 48217 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; 48217, 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 48217 looks the way it does
Turnout in 48217 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 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.