38008 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 38008 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38008, ~39% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38008 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38008 is the most Democratic-leaning.
38008 runs about 42 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 38008 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38008. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+62) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+42), a spread of about 104 points.
Why 38008 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 38008, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
38008 votes against the grain of Tennessee. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 38008 runs about 42 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 38008 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes.
Foreign-born share and voter turnout
Places with a low foreign-born share tend to turn out in mixed patterns; 38008, TN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 38008 looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 38008 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. 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.