72212 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 83% of adults in 72212 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 72212, ~45% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 72212 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 72212 leans more Democratic than 9 of 24 neighbors.
72212 runs about 38 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole. Arkansas leans Republican overall, while 72212 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 72212. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+21) and the west side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 24 points.
Why 72212 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 72212, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 71% of adults in 72212 hold a bachelor's degree, about 42 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 72212 sits in the top fifth on density (about 91%, above 88% of zip codes). 72212 runs against the grain of Arkansas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 72212, AR sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 72212 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 72212 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 72212 have completed high school, above 96% 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.