38505 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 6 points: about 53% of voters vote Democratic and 47% Republican.
About 20% of adults in 38505 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38505, ~11% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~80% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38505 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38505 is the most Democratic-leaning.
38505 runs about 36 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while 38505 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 38505 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 38505, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 38505 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 38505 sits in the top quarter (about 54%, above 91% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 98% of adults in 38505 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 38505, 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 38505 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38505 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 48%, about 7 points below the Tennessee average of 56%. Renters vote less often than owners, and more than 99% of households in 38505 rent, compared to around 22% in nearby zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 38505 have completed high school, in the top fraction 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.