98201 leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 98201 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98201, ~40% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98201 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98201 leans more Democratic than 21 of 24 neighbors.
98201 runs about 11 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98201. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+45) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+15), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 98201 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 98201, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 92% of residents in 98201 live in densely developed areas, about 55 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 41% of adults in 98201 have never been married, above 88% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 98201, WA sits in the top tenth 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 98201 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 53% of households in 98201 rent, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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.