98849 leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 98849 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98849, ~16% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98849 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98849 is the most Republican-leaning.
98849 runs about 65 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98849 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 98849 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 98849, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 9% of adults in 98849 hold a bachelor's degree, about 25 points below the Washington average of 34%. 98849 runs against the grain of Washington, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 98849, WA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 98849 looks the way it does
Turnout in 98849 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.