36858 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 80% of adults in 36858 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 36858, ~46% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 36858 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 36858 leans more Democratic than 2 of 3 neighbors.
36858 runs about 45 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while 36858 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 36858. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+46) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 45 points.
Why 36858 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 36858, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural, majority-Black areas of the Southern Black Belt vote Democratic, against the usual rural pattern. About 51% of residents in 36858 are Black or African American, about 28 points above the Alabama average of 24%. 36858 runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 36858, AL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 36858 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 36858 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 50%, about 10 points below the U.S. average of 60%. 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.