36117 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 36117 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36117, ~46% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36117 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36117 leans more Democratic than 10 of 18 neighbors.
36117 runs about 61 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36117 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36117. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+66) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+6), a spread of about 72 points.
Why 36117 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 36117, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in 36117 is about 34%, about 38 points below the U.S. average of 72%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and 36117 sits in the top quarter (about 46%, above 86% of zip codes). 36117 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; 36117, AL sits in the top quarter 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 36117 looks the way it does
Turnout in 36117 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.