38685 leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 38685 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38685, ~19% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38685 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38685 leans more Republican than 2 of 3 neighbors.
38685 runs about 24 points more Republican than Mississippi as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38685. The southeast side is the most split-leaning (R+72) and the northwest side is the least split-leaning (R+2), a spread of about 70 points.
Why 38685 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 38685, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 38685 live in densely developed areas, about 10 points below the Mississippi average of 15%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 38685 sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 90% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 38685 are family households, above 76% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 38685, MS sits in the bottom 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 38685 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 88% of households in 38685 own their home, about 11 points above the Mississippi average of 77%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 38685 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. 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.