98011 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 78% of adults in 98011 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98011, ~55% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98011 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98011 leans more Democratic than 23 of 55 neighbors.
98011 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98011. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+46) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+34), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 98011 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 98011, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 60% of adults in 98011 hold a bachelor's degree, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 98011 sits in the top fifth on density (about 92%, above 89% of zip codes).
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 98011, WA 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 98011 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98011 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 96% of adults in 98011 have completed high school, above 81% 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.