35209 leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 65% of adults in 35209 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35209, ~40% vote Democratic, ~25% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35209 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35209 leans more Democratic than 22 of 47 neighbors.
35209 runs about 53 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35209 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35209. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+62) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+7), a spread of about 69 points.
Why 35209 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 35209, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 66% of adults in 35209 hold a bachelor's degree, about 38 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 35209 sits in the top fifth on density (about 98%, above 94% of zip codes). 35209 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; 35209, AL sits in the top quarter 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 35209 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 35209 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. 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.