38039 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 64% of adults in 38039 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38039, ~39% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38039 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38039 is the most Democratic-leaning.
38039 runs about 53 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 38039 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38039. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+39) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+13), a spread of about 52 points.
Why 38039 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 38039, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 55% of residents in 38039 are Black or African American, about 48 points above the Tennessee average of 7%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in 38039 have never been married, above 81% of zip codes. 38039 runs against the grain of Tennessee, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 38039, TN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 38039 looks the way it does
Turnout in 38039 sits close to the national pattern. 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.