99251 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 45% of adults in 99251 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 99251, ~25% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~55% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 99251 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 99251 leans more Democratic than 20 of 27 neighbors.
99251 runs about 5 points more Republican than Washington as a whole.
Why 99251 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 99251, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 99% of residents in 99251 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 99251 sits in the top quarter (about 40%, above 81% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 85% of adults in 99251 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 99251, WA sits in the top tenth 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 99251 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 64% of households in 99251 rent, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 99% of adults in 99251 have completed high school, above 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.