72538 is a Republican stronghold. About 16% of voters here vote Democratic and 84% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 72538 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 72538, ~9% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 72538 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 72538 leans more Republican than 6 of 12 neighbors.
72538 runs about 37 points more Republican than Arkansas as a whole.
Why 72538 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 72538, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. 72538 sits in the bottom quarter on density and about 94% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 17 points above the Arkansas average of 77%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 78% of households in 72538 are family households, above 88% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 72538, AR sits in the bottom 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 72538 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 72538 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 48%, about 12 points below the U.S. average of 60%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 20% of adults in 72538 report food insecurity, above 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.