Arlington is a Democratic stronghold. About 95% of voters here vote Democratic and 5% Republican.
About 51% of adults in Arlington typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Arlington, ~49% vote Democratic, ~2% Republican, and ~49% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Arlington compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Arlington leans more Democratic than 7 of 8 neighbors.
Arlington runs about 120 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Arlington is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Arlington leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Arlington, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Arlington is about 9%, about 64 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Arlington have never been married, above 81% of neighborhoods. Arlington 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; Arlington, Birmingham, 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 Arlington looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Arlington 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 36%, about 18 points below the Alabama average of 54%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 72% of households in Arlington rent, compared to around 54% in nearby neighborhoods. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 49% of adults in Arlington report food insecurity, above 98% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Glen Iris, Birmingham, AL D+56
- Five Points South, Birmingham, AL D+44
- Belview Heights, Birmingham, AL D+90
- Southside, Birmingham, AL D+42
- Norwood, Birmingham, AL D+74
- Highland Park, Birmingham, AL D+36
- Redmont Park, Birmingham, AL R+10
- Forest Park, Birmingham, AL D+28
- Crossgate, Vestavia Hills, AL R+4
- Crestline, Birmingham, AL Even
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Ravendale, Detroit, MI D+86
- Pine Brook, Camp Hill, PA Even
- Independence Plaza, Kansas City, MO D+61
- San Jose Forest, Jacksonville, FL R+23
- West Sharyland, Mission, TX R+3
- O'Fallon, St. Louis, MO D+87
- University Drive, Coral Springs, FL D+15
- Helderberg, Albany, NY D+57
- Bryce Canyon North, Oxnard, CA D+36
- Gaffney Lane, Oregon City, OR R+4
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.