38486 is a Republican stronghold. About 13% of voters here vote Democratic and 87% Republican.
About 57% of adults in 38486 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38486, ~7% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38486 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38486 leans more Republican than 3 of 6 neighbors.
38486 runs about 44 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Why 38486 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 38486, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 38486, about 96% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the Tennessee average of 22%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 38486 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 85% of zip codes).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 38486, TN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 38486 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38486 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 73% of adults in 38486 have completed high school, below 96% 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.