71266 leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 61% of adults in 71266 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71266, ~16% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71266 compares
71266 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
71266 runs about 26 points more Republican than Louisiana as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71266. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+83) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+17), a spread of about 66 points.
Why 71266 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 71266, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in 71266 live in densely developed areas, about 21 points below the Louisiana average of 25%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 71266 sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 89% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in 71266 are family households, above 83% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 71266, LA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 71266 looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 25% of adults in 71266 report food insecurity, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 36% of households in 71266 rent, above 83% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 78% of adults in 71266 have completed high school, below 93% 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.