71601 is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 43% of adults in 71601 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71601, ~37% vote Democratic, ~6% Republican, and ~57% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71601 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 71601 is the most Democratic-leaning.
71601 runs about 100 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole. Arkansas leans Republican overall, while 71601 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71601. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+84) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+39), a spread of about 123 points.
Why 71601 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 71601, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in 71601 is about 14%, about 58 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 49% of adults in 71601 have never been married, above 94% of zip codes. 71601 runs against the grain of Arkansas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 71601, AR sits in the top 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 71601 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 71601 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 41%, about 11 points below the Arkansas average of 51%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 46% of households in 71601 rent, compared to around 30% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 41% of adults in 71601 report food insecurity, above 98% 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 Arkansas 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.