West Memphis leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 50% of adults in West Memphis typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Memphis, ~36% vote Democratic, ~14% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Memphis compares
Among cities within 25 miles, West Memphis leans more Democratic than 54 of 58 neighbors.
West Memphis runs about 74 points more Democratic than Arkansas as a whole. Arkansas leans Republican overall, while West Memphis is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within West Memphis. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+83) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+4), a spread of about 87 points.
Why West Memphis leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for West Memphis, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 82% of residents in West Memphis live in densely developed areas, about 46 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 43% of adults in West Memphis have never been married, above 95% of cities. West Memphis runs against the grain of Arkansas, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West Memphis, AR sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West Memphis looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. West Memphis 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 8 points below the Arkansas average of 51%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 53% of households in West Memphis rent, compared to around 27% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in West Memphis report food insecurity, above 98% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Marion, AR Even
- Sunset, AR D+13
- Gammon, AR R+26
- Proctor, AR R+8
- Edmondson, AR D+4
- Midway Corner, AR R+13
- Julius, AR Even
- Vincent, AR R+9
- Jericho, AR R+14
- Clarkedale, AR R+24
Cities with Similar Populations
- Harrison, AR R+53
- Scotch Plains, NJ D+23
- Natchitoches, LA D+10
- Piqua, OH R+43
- Dayton, TX R+54
- Abingdon, VA R+41
- Canton, MA D+26
- Manvel, TX D+5
- Defiance, OH R+35
- Wilmington, MA Even
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.