96717 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 96717 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 96717, ~30% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 96717 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 96717 leans more Democratic than 4 of 12 neighbors.
96717 runs about 12 points more Republican than Hawaii as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 96717. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+19) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+7), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 96717 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 96717, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 36% of adults in 96717 hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in 96717 have never been married, above 78% of zip codes.
Renting and voter turnout
Places with renter-heavy households tend to turn out at a lower rate; 96717, HI sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 96717 looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 22% of adults in 96717 report food insecurity, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and 96717 sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 48% of households in 96717 rent, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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 Hawaii Office of 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. Some land-use inputs for Hawaii, including walkability and the environmental-justice index, are estimated rather than measured, so the figures here carry added uncertainty. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.