97212 is a Democratic stronghold. About 91% of voters here vote Democratic and 9% Republican.
About 87% of adults in 97212 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 97212, ~79% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 97212 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 97212 leans more Democratic than 64 of 66 neighbors.
97212 runs about 67 points more Democratic than Oregon as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 97212. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+90) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+75), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 97212 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 97212, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 97212 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 97212 sits in the top quarter (about 70%, above 97% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in 97212 have never been married, above 83% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 97212, OR sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 97212 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 97212 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 73%, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 97212 have completed high school, above 92% 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 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.