37909 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 37909 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 37909, ~32% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 37909 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 37909 leans more Democratic than 22 of 28 neighbors.
37909 runs about 37 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 37909 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 37909. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+19) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+7), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 37909 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 37909, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 94% of residents in 37909 live in densely developed areas, about 58 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 37909 sits in the top quarter (about 46%, above 86% of zip codes). 37909 runs against the grain of Tennessee, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 37909, TN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 37909 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 52% of households in 37909 rent, about 27 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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.