36053 is a Democratic stronghold. About 79% of voters here vote Democratic and 21% Republican.
About 51% of adults in 36053 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36053, ~40% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36053 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36053 is the most Democratic-leaning.
36053 runs about 89 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36053 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36053. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+79) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 82 points.
Why 36053 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 36053, 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 76% of residents in 36053 are Black or African American, about 52 points above the Alabama average of 24%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 53% of adults in 36053 have never been married, above 96% of zip codes. 36053 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; 36053, AL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 36053 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36053 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 45%, about 9 points below the Alabama average of 54%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 39% of adults in 36053 report food insecurity, above 98% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 74% of adults in 36053 have completed high school, below 96% 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.