36106 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 71% of adults in 36106 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36106, ~47% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36106 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36106 leans more Democratic than 13 of 20 neighbors.
36106 runs about 62 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36106 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36106. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+45) and the south side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 47 points.
Why 36106 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 36106, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 99% of residents in 36106 live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 36106 sits in the top quarter (about 50%, above 89% of zip codes). 36106 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; 36106, 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 36106 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 36106 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 61%, about 8 points above the Alabama average of 54%. 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.