98604 leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 84% of adults in 98604 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98604, ~33% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98604 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98604 leans more Republican than 14 of 19 neighbors.
98604 runs about 40 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98604 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98604. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+30) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+14), a spread of about 16 points.
Why 98604 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 98604, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98604 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98604 runs about 40 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 79% of households in 98604 are family households, above 90% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 98604, WA sits in the top quarter 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 98604 looks the way it does
Turnout in 98604 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.