36849 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 40 points: about 70% of voters vote Democratic and 30% Republican.
About 38% of adults in 36849 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36849, ~27% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~62% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36849 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36849 is the most Democratic-leaning.
36849 runs about 70 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36849 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36849. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+50) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+33), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 36849 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 36849, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 92% of residents in 36849 live in densely developed areas, about 56 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 99% of adults in 36849 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes. 36849 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; 36849, 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 36849 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36849 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 35%, about 18 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 96% of households in 36849 rent, compared to around 25% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 53% of adults in 36849 report food insecurity, in the top fraction 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.