36609 leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 57% of adults in 36609 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36609, ~33% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36609 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36609 leans more Democratic than 16 of 27 neighbors.
36609 runs about 47 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36609 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36609. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+58) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+27), a spread of about 85 points.
Why 36609 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 36609, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 98% of residents in 36609 live in densely developed areas, about 61 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 41% of adults in 36609 have never been married, above 88% of zip codes. 36609 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 36609, AL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 36609 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 52% of households in 36609 rent, about 27 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in 36609 report food insecurity, above 84% 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.