90038 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 38% of adults in 90038 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 90038, ~29% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~62% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 90038 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 90038 leans more Democratic than 105 of 161 neighbors.
90038 runs about 29 points more Democratic than California as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 90038. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+59) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+42), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 90038 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 90038, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 90038 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 90038 sits in the top quarter (about 39%, above 80% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 60% of adults in 90038 have never been married, above 98% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 90038, CA sits in the top tenth 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 90038 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 90038 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 92% of households in 90038 rent, about 67 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 26% of adults in 90038 report food insecurity, above 90% 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 California Secretary 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.