98812 leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 55% of adults in 98812 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98812, ~23% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98812 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98812 leans more Republican than 2 of 4 neighbors.
98812 runs about 35 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98812 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98812. The south side runs the most Democratic (Even) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+34), a spread of about 35 points.
Why 98812 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 98812, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98812 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98812 runs about 35 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 98812 are family households, above 79% of zip codes.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 98812, WA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 98812 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98812 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 23%, about 14 points above the Washington average of 9%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 41% of households in 98812 rent, compared to around 23% in nearby zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 56% of adults in 98812 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction 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.