98004 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 64% of adults in 98004 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98004, ~47% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98004 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98004 leans more Democratic than 35 of 67 neighbors.
98004 runs about 28 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98004. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+51) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+39), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 98004 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 98004, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 78% of adults in 98004 hold a bachelor's degree, about 50 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 98004 sits in the top fifth on density (about 92%, above 89% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 33% of adults in 98004 have never been married, above 75% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 98004, WA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 98004 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98004 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 75%, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 98004 have completed high school, above 96% 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 Washington Secretary of State, 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. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.