38126 is a Democratic stronghold. About 91% of voters here vote Democratic and 9% Republican.
About 43% of adults in 38126 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38126, ~39% vote Democratic, ~4% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38126 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38126 leans more Democratic than 31 of 35 neighbors.
38126 runs about 111 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 38126 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38126. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+87) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+73), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 38126 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 38126, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 38126 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 68% of adults in 38126 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes. 38126 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; 38126, TN sits in the top tenth 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 38126 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38126 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 34%, about 22 points below the Tennessee average of 56%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 83% of households in 38126 rent, compared to around 59% in nearby zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 38126 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.