International District is a Democratic stronghold. About 81% of voters here vote Democratic and 19% Republican.
About 43% of adults in International District typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in International District, ~35% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How International District compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, International District leans more Democratic than 7 of 34 neighbors.
International District runs about 43 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within International District. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+75) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+44), a spread of about 31 points.
Why International District 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 International District, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in International District live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 46% of adults in International District have never been married, above 76% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; International District, Seattle, 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 International District looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 87% of households in International District rent, about 62 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 83% of adults in International District have completed high school, below 80% of neighborhoods. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and International District sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA D+58
- First Hill, Seattle, WA D+69
- Central District, Seattle, WA D+80
- Atlantic, Seattle, WA D+73
- Leschi, Seattle, WA D+78
- Belltown, Seattle, WA D+62
- Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA D+79
- South Lake Union, Seattle, WA D+57
- Madrona, Seattle, WA D+84
- Uptown, Seattle, WA D+69
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Victoria Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL D+6
- The Pueblo, Las Vegas, NV D+13
- Pico-Lowell, Santa Ana, CA D+34
- Walker's Point, Milwaukee, WI D+49
- West Highland, Denver, CO D+65
- Rolando, San Diego, CA D+42
- Bon Air, Louisville, KY D+31
- Glen Iris, Birmingham, AL D+56
- Boise, Portland, OR D+81
- Gladstone, Chicago, IL D+23
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.