71603 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 38 points: about 69% of voters vote Democratic and 31% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 71603 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71603, ~39% vote Democratic, ~17% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71603 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 71603 leans more Democratic than 2 of 3 neighbors.
71603 runs about 69 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole. Arkansas leans Republican overall, while 71603 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71603. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+84) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+22), a spread of about 106 points.
Why 71603 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 71603, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
71603 votes against the grain of Arkansas. Arkansas leans Republican overall, while 71603 runs about 69 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 39% of adults in 71603 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 71603, AR does.
Why turnout in 71603 looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 26% of adults in 71603 report food insecurity, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 71603 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 37% of households in 71603 rent, above 83% 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.