98536 leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 65% of adults in 98536 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98536, ~27% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98536 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98536 leans more Republican than 4 of 5 neighbors.
98536 runs about 35 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98536 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 98536 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 98536, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 2% of residents in 98536 live in densely developed areas, about 38 points below the Washington average of 41%. 98536 runs against the grain of Washington, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; 98536, WA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 98536 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in 98536 own their home, about 21 points above the Washington average of 73%. 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.