98857 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 53% of adults in 98857 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98857, ~17% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98857 compares
98857 runs about 55 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98857 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98857. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 43 points.
Why 98857 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 98857, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98857 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98857 runs about 55 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in 98857 drive to work alone, above 87% of zip codes. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 98857 sits in the bottom quarter (about 13%, below 86% of zip codes).
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 98857, 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 98857 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98857 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 22%, about 13 points above the Washington average of 9%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 71% of adults in 98857 have completed high school, below 97% 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.