36538 is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 36538 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36538, ~11% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36538 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36538 leans more Republican than 3 of 6 neighbors.
36538 runs about 29 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36538. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+20), a spread of about 43 points.
Why 36538 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 36538, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in 36538 live in densely developed areas, about 16 points below the Alabama average of 19%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 80% of households in 36538 are family households, above 91% of zip codes.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 36538, AL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 36538 looks the way it does
Turnout in 36538 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.