98901 is a true toss-up. About 49% of voters here vote Democratic and 51% Republican.
About 50% of adults in 98901 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98901, ~25% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98901 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98901 sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 3 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 7 leaning the other way.
98901 runs about 19 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98901 sits closer to the political middle.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98901. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+25) and the north side runs the most Republican (R+42), a spread of about 67 points.
Why 98901 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 98901, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
98901 votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while 98901 runs about 19 points more Republican.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 98901, WA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 98901 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98901 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 50% of households in 98901 rent, compared to around 35% in nearby zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 70% of adults in 98901 have completed high school, below 98% 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.