98902 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 51% of adults in 98902 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 98902, ~27% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 98902 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 98902 leans more Democratic than 10 of 11 neighbors.
98902 runs about 11 points more Republican than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 98902. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+20) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+5), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 98902 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 98902, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 98902 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in 98902 have never been married, above 86% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 98902, WA sits in the top tenth 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 98902 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 98902 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 20%, about 12 points above the Washington average of 9%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 48% of households in 98902 rent, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 98902 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.