98439 is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 32% of adults in 98439 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98439, ~16% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~68% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98439 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98439 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 37 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 8 leaning the other way.
98439 runs about 19 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98439 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98439. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+11) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+14), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 98439 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 98439, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98439 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98439 runs about 19 points more Republican.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with renter-heavy households tend to turn out at a lower rate; 98439, WA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 98439 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98439 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 92% of households in 98439 rent, compared to around 54% in nearby 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.