98502 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 79% of adults in 98502 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98502, ~57% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98502 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98502 leans more Democratic than 9 of 10 neighbors.
98502 runs about 25 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98502. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+24), a spread of about 39 points.
Why 98502 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 98502, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 52% of adults in 98502 hold a bachelor's degree, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting, and non-Hispanic white share in 98502 is about 71%, below 67% of zip codes. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in 98502 have never been married, above 83% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 98502, WA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 98502 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98502 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 98502 have completed high school, above 82% 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.