36031 is a Democratic stronghold. About 88% of voters here vote Democratic and 12% Republican.
About 42% of adults in 36031 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36031, ~37% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~58% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36031 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36031 leans more Democratic than 5 of 6 neighbors.
36031 runs about 106 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36031 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 36031 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 36031, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 92% of residents in 36031 are Black or African American, about 69 points above the Alabama average of 24%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in 36031 have never been married, above 95% of zip codes. 36031 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 36031, AL sits in the bottom 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 36031 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36031 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%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 31% of adults in 36031 report food insecurity, above 94% of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 36031 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.