71642 is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 48% of adults in 71642 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71642, ~7% vote Democratic, ~41% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71642 compares
71642 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
71642 runs about 39 points more Republican than Arkansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71642. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+72) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+62), a spread of about 10 points.
Why 71642 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 71642, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 71642 live in densely developed areas, about 8 points below the Arkansas average of 13%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 71642 sits in the bottom quarter (about 7%, below 98% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 83% of households in 71642 are family households, above 95% of zip codes.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 71642, AR sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 71642 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 71642 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 49%, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 60%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in 71642 report food insecurity, above 85% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 85% of adults in 71642 have completed high school, below 80% 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.