38579 is a Republican stronghold. About 13% of voters here vote Democratic and 87% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 38579 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38579, ~8% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38579 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38579 is the most Republican-leaning.
38579 runs about 44 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Why 38579 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 38579, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 38579, about 95% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 7 points below the Tennessee average of 22%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 38579, TN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 38579 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38579 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 85% of adults in 38579 have completed high school, below 81% 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.