49696 leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About more than 99% of adults in 49696 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 49696, ~45% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~-4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 49696 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 49696 leans more Republican than 4 of 9 neighbors.
49696 runs about 13 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 49696. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+23) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 19 points.
Why 49696 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 49696, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 75% of households in 49696 are family households, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 67%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 49696, MI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 49696 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 49696 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 95% of households in 49696 own their home, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 75%. 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.