Decatur leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Decatur typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Decatur, ~25% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Decatur compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Decatur leans more Republican than 9 of 59 neighbors.
Decatur runs about 12 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Decatur. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+46) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+54), a spread of about 100 points.
Why Decatur leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Decatur, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Decatur votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 75%, far above the Alabama average of 19%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Decatur, AL sits in the bottom quarter 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 Decatur looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Decatur is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 36% of households in Decatur rent, above 91% of cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of adults in Decatur report food insecurity, above 88% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Priceville, AL R+63
- Trinity, AL R+68
- Mooresville, AL Even
- Oak Ridge, AL R+81
- Belle Mina, AL Even
- Hartselle, AL R+66
- Tanner, AL R+27
- Fish Pond, AL D+9
- Jones Crossroads, AL R+27
- Flower Hill, AL R+23
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dearborn Heights, MI R+6
- Taylor, MI D+6
- Pottstown, PA D+7
- Little Elm, TX D+3
- Cupertino, CA D+31
- Towson, MD D+43
- Skokie, IL D+27
- Bay City, MI R+12
- Rocky Mount, NC D+35
- Goldsboro, NC D+8
All Local Stats
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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.