49546 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 92% of adults in 49546 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 49546, ~52% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 49546 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 49546 leans more Democratic than 16 of 24 neighbors.
49546 runs about 15 points more Democratic than Michigan as a whole. Michigan is roughly evenly split, and 49546 sits clearly on the Democratic side.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 49546. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+32) and the east side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 33 points.
Why 49546 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 49546, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in 49546 hold a bachelor's degree, about 33 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 49546 sits in the top fifth on density (about 83%, above 84% of zip codes). 49546 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; 49546, 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 49546 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 49546 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 77%, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 49546 have completed high school, above 82% 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.