River Oaks, Memphis, TN Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in River Oaks

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

River Oaks leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.

 

About 71% of adults in River Oaks typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in River Oaks, ~40% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How River Oaks compares

River Oaks sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable neighborhoods nearby.

River Oaks runs about 45 points more Democratic than Tennessee as a whole. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while River Oaks is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.

Politics vary noticeably by block within River Oaks. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+57) and the east side runs the most Republican (R+18), a spread of about 75 points.

Why River Oaks leans the way it does

This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for River Oaks, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

River Oaks votes against the grain of Tennessee. Tennessee leans Republican overall, while River Oaks runs about 45 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and River Oaks sits in the top quarter (about 56%, above 77% of neighborhoods).

Preventive-care access and voter turnout

Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; River Oaks, Memphis, TN sits above the national average 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 River Oaks looks the way it does

Turnout in River Oaks sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

Sources and methodology

Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of 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.