University Place, WA Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in University Place

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

University Place leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.

 

About 71% of adults in University Place typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Place, ~46% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How University Place compares

Among cities within 25 miles, University Place leans more Democratic than 69 of 86 neighbors.

University Place runs about 11 points more Democratic than Washington as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within University Place. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+35) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+19), a spread of about 15 points.

Why University Place leans the way it does

This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for University Place, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 92% of residents in University Place live in densely developed areas, about 56 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and University Place sits in the top quarter (about 41%, above 88% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 31% of adults in University Place have never been married, above 79% of cities.

Walkability and Democratic lean

Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; University Place, 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 University Place looks the way it does

Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. University Place is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.