35234 is a Democratic stronghold. About 93% of voters here vote Democratic and 7% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 35234 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 35234, ~54% vote Democratic, ~4% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 35234 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 35234 leans more Democratic than 40 of 45 neighbors.
35234 runs about 116 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 35234 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 35234. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+88) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+77), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 35234 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 35234, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 35234 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 44% of adults in 35234 have never been married, above 91% of zip codes. 35234 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; 35234, 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 35234 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 35234 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 37%, about 16 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 55% of households in 35234 rent, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 48% of adults in 35234 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.