48218 is a Democratic stronghold. About 75% of voters here vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 53% of adults in 48218 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 48218, ~40% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 48218 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 48218 leans more Democratic than 35 of 63 neighbors.
48218 runs about 52 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 48218 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 48218. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+87) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+23), a spread of about 64 points.
Why 48218 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 48218, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 48218 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in 48218 have never been married, above 95% of zip codes. 48218 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; 48218, MI 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 48218 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 48218 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%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 43% of households in 48218 rent, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 46% of adults in 48218 report food insecurity, in the top 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.