79838 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 48% of adults in 79838 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 79838, ~27% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 79838 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 79838 leans more Democratic than 4 of 5 neighbors.
79838 runs about 26 points more Democratic than Texas as a whole. Texas leans Republican overall, while 79838 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 79838. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+16) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 15 points.
Why 79838 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 79838, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in 79838 is about 4%, about 68 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in 79838 have never been married, above 80% of zip codes. 79838 runs against the grain of Texas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 79838, TX sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 79838 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 79838 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 43%, about 11 points below the Texas average of 54%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 61% of adults in 79838 have completed high school, in the bottom fraction of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 79838 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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 Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division, 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.