98402 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 46% of adults in 98402 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98402, ~34% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98402 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98402 leans more Democratic than 49 of 53 neighbors.
98402 runs about 31 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98402. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+57) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+22), a spread of about 35 points.
Why 98402 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 98402, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 96% of residents in 98402 live in densely developed areas, about 60 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 98402 sits in the top quarter (about 35%, above 75% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 58% of adults in 98402 have never been married, above 98% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 98402, 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 98402 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 86% of households in 98402 rent, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 98402 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.