36205 leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 53% of adults in 36205 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36205, ~25% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36205 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36205 leans more Republican than 1 of 10 neighbors.
36205 runs about 24 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36205. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+82) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+4), a spread of about 78 points.
Why 36205 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 36205, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 91% of residents in 36205 drive to work alone, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 36205 sits in the bottom quarter (about 12%, below 89% of zip codes).
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with high food insecurity tend to turn out at a lower rate; 36205, 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 36205 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36205 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 50%, about 10 points below the U.S. average of 60%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 67% of households in 36205 rent, compared to around 25% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 32% of adults in 36205 report food insecurity, above 95% 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.