49512 leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 49512 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 49512, ~44% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 49512 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 49512 leans more Democratic than 21 of 27 neighbors.
49512 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 49512 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 49512. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+31) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 36 points.
Why 49512 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 49512, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 77% of residents in 49512 live in densely developed areas, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 49512 sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 80% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in 49512 have never been married, above 83% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 49512, 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 49512 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 49512 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.