98381 leans slightly Republican by roughly 12 points: about 44% of voters vote Democratic and 56% Republican.
About 32% of adults in 98381 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98381, ~14% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~68% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98381 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98381 leans more Republican than 1 of 3 neighbors.
98381 runs about 30 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98381 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98381. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+5) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+15), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 98381 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 98381, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98381 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98381 runs about 30 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and 98381 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 1%, below 98% of zip codes).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 98381, WA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 98381 looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, mostly because the housing stress common in those areas makes voting harder. 98381 sits in the top 15% nationally on a violent-crime measure. See CrimeGrade for more details. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 37% of households in 98381 rent, above 84% 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.