49896 leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 49896 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 49896, ~26% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 49896 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 49896 leans more Republican than 1 of 7 neighbors.
49896 runs about 28 points more Republican than Michigan as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 49896. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+49) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 44 points.
Why 49896 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 49896, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 49896 live in densely developed areas, about 27 points below the Michigan average of 31%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in 49896 are family households, above 84% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 49896, MI sits in the top quarter 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 49896 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 49896 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 67%, about 7 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.