South End leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 52% of adults in South End typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South End, ~34% vote Democratic, ~18% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South End compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South End leans more Democratic than 2 of 6 neighbors.
South End runs about 12 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South End. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+38) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+24), a spread of about 14 points.
Why South End leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in South End. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; South End, Tacoma, WA sits in the top quarter 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 South End looks the way it does
Turnout in South End sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Eastside Enact, Tacoma, WA D+32
- South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA D+33
- Central, Tacoma, WA D+52
- New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA D+49
- Waller, Tacoma, WA R+4
- Summit, Puyallup, WA R+3
- North End, Tacoma, WA D+58
- West End, Tacoma, WA D+33
- Woodbrook, Lakewood, WA Even
- Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, WA D+23
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Palms, Los Angeles, CA D+56
- North Dallas, Dallas, TX D+2
- Southwest Ada, Boise, ID R+21
- Gateway-Green Valley Ranch, Denver, CO D+40
- Brea-Olinda, Brea, CA R+3
- Shelby Forest-Frayser, Memphis, TN D+62
- Dunning, Chicago, IL Even
- West Town, Chicago, IL D+69
- Irving Park, Chicago, IL D+54
- Medical, Houston, TX D+41
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.