38079 leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 44% of adults in 38079 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38079, ~14% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38079 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38079 leans more Republican than 1 of 8 neighbors.
38079 runs about 4 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38079. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+16), a spread of about 58 points.
Why 38079 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 38079, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 89% of residents in 38079 drive to work alone, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 38079 sits in the bottom quarter (about 9%, below 95% of zip codes).
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 38079, TN does.
Why turnout in 38079 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38079 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 39%, about 17 points below the Tennessee average of 56%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 47% of households in 38079 rent, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 76% of adults in 38079 have completed high school, below 95% of zip codes. 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.