71040 leans slightly Republican by roughly 10 points: about 45% of voters vote Democratic and 55% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 71040 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71040, ~27% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71040 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 71040 leans more Republican than 1 of 4 neighbors.
71040 runs about 12 points more Democratic than Louisiana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71040. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+33) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+51), a spread of about 83 points.
Why 71040 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 71040, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 83% of residents in 71040 drive to work alone, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 71040 sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 90% of zip codes).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 71040, LA 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 71040 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 71040 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 44%, about 11 points below the Louisiana average of 55%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 35% of adults in 71040 report food insecurity, above 97% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 77% of adults in 71040 have completed high school, below 94% 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 Louisiana 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.