98850 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 67% of adults in 98850 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98850, ~21% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98850 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98850 leans more Republican than 2 of 4 neighbors.
98850 runs about 54 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98850 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 98850 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 98850, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98850 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98850 runs about 54 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in 98850 are family households, above 83% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 98850, WA sits in the bottom 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 98850 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98850 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. 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.