97117 leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 97117 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 97117, ~28% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 97117 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 97117 leans more Republican than 7 of 8 neighbors.
97117 runs about 35 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while 97117 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 97117. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+27) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+11), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 97117 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 97117, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 86% of households in 97117 are family households, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 67%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 97117 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 4%, below 89% of zip codes). 97117 runs against the grain of Oregon, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 97117, OR sits in the bottom quarter 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 97117 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 88% of households in 97117 own their home, about 15 points above the Oregon average of 74%. 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 Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.