96118 leans Republican by roughly 24 points: about 38% of voters vote Democratic and 62% Republican.
About 61% of adults in 96118 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 96118, ~23% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 96118 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 96118 leans more Republican than 2 of 6 neighbors.
96118 runs about 44 points more Republican than California as a whole. California leans Democratic overall, while 96118 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 96118. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+37) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+13), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 96118 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 96118, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
96118 votes against the grain of California. California leans Democratic overall, while 96118 runs about 44 points more Republican.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; 96118, CA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 96118 looks the way it does
Turnout in 96118 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.