Downtown Seattle is a Democratic stronghold. About 76% of voters here vote Democratic and 24% Republican.
About 52% of adults in Downtown Seattle typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Seattle, ~39% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Seattle compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown Seattle leans more Democratic than 9 of 35 neighbors.
Downtown Seattle runs about 35 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown Seattle. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+48), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Downtown Seattle leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Downtown Seattle, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 78% of adults in Downtown Seattle hold a bachelor's degree, about 50 points above the U.S. average of 28%.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Downtown Seattle, Seattle, WA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Downtown Seattle looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 76% of households in Downtown Seattle rent, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and Downtown Seattle sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Madrona, Seattle, WA D+84
- McGilvra, Mercer Island, WA D+52
- Madison Park, Seattle, WA D+68
- Leschi, Seattle, WA D+78
- Central District, Seattle, WA D+80
- Meydenbauer, Bellevue, WA D+45
- Atlantic, Seattle, WA D+73
- Montlake, Seattle, WA D+83
- Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA D+79
- Mt. Baker, Seattle, WA D+73
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Excelsior, San Francisco, CA D+39
- Wrigley, Long Beach, CA D+42
- Westgate Hts, Albuquerque, NM D+16
- Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, OH D+14
- West End, Tacoma, WA D+33
- Scripps Ranch, San Diego, CA D+20
- Berryessa, San Jose, CA D+22
- Torresdale, Philadelphia, PA R+10
- City Heights East, San Diego, CA D+31
- North Lawndale, Chicago, IL D+78
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.