36201 is a true toss-up. About 52% of voters here vote Democratic and 48% Republican.
About 56% of adults in 36201 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36201, ~29% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36201 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36201 is the most Democratic-leaning.
36201 runs about 35 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36201 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36201. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+68) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+65), a spread of about 132 points.
Why 36201 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 36201, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
36201 votes against the grain of Alabama. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36201 runs about 35 points more Democratic.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 36201, AL does.
Why turnout in 36201 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36201 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 43%, about 11 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 41% of households in 36201 rent, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 34% of adults in 36201 report food insecurity, above 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.