36605 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 60% of adults in 36605 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36605, ~45% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36605 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36605 leans more Democratic than 22 of 27 neighbors.
36605 runs about 80 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36605 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36605. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+90) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 92 points.
Why 36605 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 36605, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in 36605 is about 26%, about 46 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in 36605 have never been married, above 94% of zip codes. 36605 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 36605, AL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 36605 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36605 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 44%, about 10 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 49% of households in 36605 rent, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 37% of adults in 36605 report food insecurity, above 97% 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.