99201 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 99201 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 99201, ~39% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 99201 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 99201 leans more Democratic than 28 of 31 neighbors.
99201 runs about 20 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 99201. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+55) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+25), a spread of about 30 points.
Why 99201 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 99201, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 95% of residents in 99201 live in densely developed areas, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 45% of adults in 99201 have never been married, above 92% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 99201, 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 99201 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 66% of households in 99201 rent, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 99201 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.