38617 is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 61% of adults in 38617 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38617, ~47% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38617 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38617 leans more Democratic than 8 of 11 neighbors.
38617 runs about 77 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while 38617 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38617. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+72) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 75 points.
Why 38617 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 38617, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 84% of residents in 38617 are Black or African American, about 48 points above the Mississippi average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in 38617 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes. 38617 runs against the grain of Mississippi, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; 38617, MS sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 38617 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38617 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 5%, about 55 points below the U.S. average of 60%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 51% of households in 38617 rent, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 46% of adults in 38617 report food insecurity, 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 Mississippi Secretary of State, 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.