35203 is a Democratic stronghold. About 80% of voters here vote Democratic and 20% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 35203 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35203, ~38% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35203 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35203 leans more Democratic than 29 of 44 neighbors.
35203 runs about 90 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35203 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35203. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+84) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+30), a spread of about 53 points.
Why 35203 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 35203, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 35203 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 54% of adults in 35203 have never been married, above 97% of zip codes. 35203 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 35203, AL sits in the top tenth 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 35203 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 35203 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 46%, about 8 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 80% of households in 35203 rent, compared to around 55% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 34% of adults in 35203 report food insecurity, 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 Alabama 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.