49826 leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 71% of adults in 49826 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 49826, ~31% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 49826 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 49826 leans more Republican than 3 of 6 neighbors.
49826 runs about 10 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 49826. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+26) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+8), a spread of about 18 points.
Why 49826 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 49826, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 2% of residents in 49826 live in densely developed areas, about 29 points below the Michigan average of 31%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 49826 are family households, above 76% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 49826, MI sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 49826 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 49826 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 94% of households in 49826 own their home, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 49826 have completed high school, above 81% 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.