98005 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 68% of adults in 98005 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98005, ~49% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98005 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98005 leans more Democratic than 28 of 65 neighbors.
98005 runs about 25 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Why 98005 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 98005, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 70% of adults in 98005 hold a bachelor's degree, about 42 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 98005 sits in the top fifth on density (about 94%, above 90% of zip codes).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 98005, 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 98005 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98005 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%. 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.