97909 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 18% of adults in 97909 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 97909, ~3% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~82% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 97909 compares
97909 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
97909 runs about 79 points more Republican than Oregon as a whole. Oregon leans Democratic overall, while 97909 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 97909. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+75) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+63), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 97909 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 97909, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 7% of adults in 97909 hold a bachelor's degree, about 22 points below the Oregon average of 29%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 97909 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 2%, below 95% of zip codes). 97909 runs against the grain of Oregon, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density, never-married share, and Republican lean
Places that combine low population density and a never-married-heavy adult population tend to lean Republican, as 97909, OR does.
Why turnout in 97909 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 97909 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 85% of adults in 97909 have completed high school, below 81% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
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.