98272 leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 78% of adults in 98272 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98272, ~36% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98272 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98272 leans more Republican than 20 of 22 neighbors.
98272 runs about 26 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98272 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98272. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+24), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 98272 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 98272, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 78% of households in 98272 are family households, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 67%. 98272 runs against the grain of Washington, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 98272, WA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 98272 looks the way it does
Turnout in 98272 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.