48842 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 89% of adults in 48842 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 48842, ~51% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~11% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 48842 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 48842 leans more Democratic than 11 of 23 neighbors.
48842 runs about 16 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 48842 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 48842. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+29) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 28 points.
Why 48842 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 48842, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 40% of adults in 48842 hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 28%. 48842 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; 48842, 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 48842 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 48842 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 73%, about 13 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.