38736 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 52% of adults in 38736 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 38736, ~29% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 38736 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 38736 leans more Democratic than 3 of 10 neighbors.
38736 runs about 34 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while 38736 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 38736. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+49) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+26), a spread of about 75 points.
Why 38736 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 38736, 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 64% of residents in 38736 are Black or African American, about 28 points above the Mississippi average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in 38736 have never been married, above 90% of zip codes. 38736 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; 38736, 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 38736 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 38736 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 7%, about 53 points below the U.S. average of 60%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 37% of adults in 38736 report food insecurity, above 97% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 75% of adults in 38736 have completed high school, below 95% 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.