97540 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 81% of adults in 97540 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 97540, ~52% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 97540 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 97540 leans more Democratic than 6 of 7 neighbors.
97540 runs about 13 points more Democratic than Oregon as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 97540. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+31) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+15), a spread of about 16 points.
Why 97540 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 97540, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 42% of adults in 97540 hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 97540, OR sits in the top quarter 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 97540 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 97540 have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. 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.