35218 is a Democratic stronghold. About 94% of voters here vote Democratic and 6% Republican.
About 55% of adults in 35218 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35218, ~52% vote Democratic, ~3% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35218 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35218 leans more Democratic than 40 of 43 neighbors.
35218 runs about 118 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35218 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 35218 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 35218, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 35218 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 47% of adults in 35218 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes. 35218 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; 35218, 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 35218 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 35218 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 42%, about 12 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 62% of households in 35218 rent, compared to around 36% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 43% of adults in 35218 report food insecurity, in the top fraction 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.