71209 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 31% of adults in 71209 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71209, ~21% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~69% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71209 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 71209 leans more Democratic than 7 of 8 neighbors.
71209 runs about 59 points more Democratic than Louisiana as a whole. Louisiana leans Republican overall, while 71209 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 71209 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 71209, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in 71209 hold a bachelor's degree, about 34 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 69% of adults in 71209 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes. 71209 runs against the grain of Louisiana, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 71209, LA sits above the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 71209 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 76% of households in 71209 rent, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 28% of adults in 71209 report food insecurity, above 93% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 98% of adults in 71209 have completed high school, above 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.