98581 leans Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 98581 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98581, ~22% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98581 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98581 is the least Republican-leaning.
98581 runs about 48 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98581 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 98581 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 98581, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 3% of residents in 98581 live in densely developed areas, about 38 points below the Washington average of 41%. 98581 runs against the grain of Washington, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 98581, WA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 98581 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 98581 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 64%, above 57% 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.