72036 leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 55% of adults in 72036 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 72036, ~25% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 72036 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 72036 is the least Republican-leaning.
72036 runs about 22 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 72036. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+16) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+76), a spread of about 92 points.
Why 72036 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 72036, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in 72036 live in densely developed areas, about 9 points below the Arkansas average of 13%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 72036, AR 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 72036 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 72036 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 47%, about 13 points below the U.S. average of 60%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 45% of households in 72036 rent, compared to around 28% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 24% of adults in 72036 report food insecurity, above 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.