98221 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 83% of adults in 98221 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98221, ~51% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98221 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98221 leans more Democratic than 5 of 10 neighbors.
Politically, 98221 sits close to the rest of Washington.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98221. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+46) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+11), a spread of about 35 points.
Why 98221 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 98221, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 47% of adults in 98221 hold a bachelor's degree, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 98221, WA sits in the top quarter 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 98221 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98221 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 98221 have completed high school, above 89% 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.