35205 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 50% of adults in 35205 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35205, ~37% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35205 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35205 leans more Democratic than 27 of 47 neighbors.
35205 runs about 79 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35205 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35205. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+86) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+27), a spread of about 60 points.
Why 35205 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 35205, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 59% of adults in 35205 hold a bachelor's degree, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 35205 sits in the top fifth on density (more than 99%, above 96% of zip codes). 35205 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 35205, AL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 35205 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 73% of households in 35205 rent, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and 35205 sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. 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.