98346 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.
About 90% of adults in 98346 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98346, ~60% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98346 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98346 leans more Democratic than 16 of 36 neighbors.
98346 runs about 16 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98346. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+39) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+18), a spread of about 21 points.
Why 98346 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 98346, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 46% of adults in 98346 hold a bachelor's degree, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 98346, WA sits above the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 98346 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98346 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%. 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.