71838 leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 52% of adults in 71838 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 71838, ~19% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 71838 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 71838 leans more Republican than 4 of 6 neighbors.
71838 runs about 5 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 71838. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+56) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+16), a spread of about 41 points.
Why 71838 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 71838, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 71838 live in densely developed areas, about 8 points below the Arkansas average of 13%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 71838 sits in the bottom quarter (about 13%, below 86% of zip codes).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 71838, AR sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 71838 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 71838 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 20% of adults in 71838 report food insecurity, above 80% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 82% of adults in 71838 have completed high school, below 88% 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.