DeKalb County is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 62% of adults in DeKalb County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in DeKalb County, ~9% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How DeKalb County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, DeKalb County leans more Republican than 10 of 12 neighbors.
DeKalb County runs about 40 points more Republican than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within DeKalb County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+81) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+58), a spread of about 23 points.
Why DeKalb County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for DeKalb County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in DeKalb County drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and DeKalb County sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 91% of counties). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 70% of households in DeKalb County are family households, above 80% of counties.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; DeKalb County, AL sits in the bottom 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 DeKalb County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. DeKalb County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of adults in DeKalb County report food insecurity, above 85% of counties. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 78% of adults in DeKalb County have completed high school, below 96% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Jackson County, AL R+71
- Cherokee County, AL R+76
- Chattooga County, GA R+58
- Marshall County, AL R+64
- Etowah County, AL R+49
- Dade County, GA R+64
- Floyd County, GA R+37
- Walker County, GA R+61
- Marion County, TN R+62
- Polk County, GA R+53
Counties with Similar Populations
- Creek County, OK R+55
- Morgan County, IN R+51
- Surry County, NC R+52
- Riley County, KS D+4
- Franklin County, MA D+22
- Lewis and Clark County, MT R+7
- Boone County, IN R+19
- Pottawatomie County, OK R+49
- Tooele County, UT R+45
- Christian County, KY R+21
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.