36523 is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 60% of adults in 36523 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36523, ~7% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36523 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36523 is the most Republican-leaning.
36523 runs about 45 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36523. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+83) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+59), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 36523 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 36523, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 14% of adults in 36523 hold a bachelor's degree, about 6 points below the Alabama average of 20%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 36523 are family households, above 77% of zip codes.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine low high-school-completion share and a high uninsured rate tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 36523, AL does.
Why turnout in 36523 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36523 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 47%, about 6 points below the Alabama average of 54%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 24% of adults in 36523 report food insecurity, above 88% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 79% of adults in 36523 have completed high school, below 92% 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.