37216 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 37216 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 37216, ~46% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 37216 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 37216 leans more Democratic than 18 of 30 neighbors.
37216 runs about 63 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 37216 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 37216. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+56) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+21), a spread of about 36 points.
Why 37216 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 37216, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 58% of adults in 37216 hold a bachelor's degree, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 37216 sits in the top fifth on density (about 96%, above 92% of zip codes). 37216 runs against the grain of Tennessee, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 37216, TN sits in the top quarter 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 37216 looks the way it does
Turnout in 37216 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 Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of 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.