98051 leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 81% of adults in 98051 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98051, ~36% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98051 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98051 is the most Republican-leaning.
98051 runs about 30 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98051 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98051. The southeast side is the most split-leaning (R+21) and the northwest side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 98051 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 98051, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 86% of households in 98051 are family households, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 67%. 98051 runs against the grain of Washington, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 98051, WA sits in the bottom 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 98051 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98051 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 90% of households in 98051 own their home, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 75%. 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.