Five Points South leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 37% of adults in Five Points South typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Five Points South, ~27% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~63% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Five Points South compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Five Points South leans more Democratic than 6 of 9 neighbors.
Five Points South runs about 74 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Five Points South is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Five Points South. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+49) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+36), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Five Points South 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 Five Points South, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 68% of adults in Five Points South hold a bachelor's degree, about 40 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 78% of adults in Five Points South have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods. Five Points South runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Five Points South, Birmingham, AL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Five Points South looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 83% of households in Five Points South rent, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Five Points South sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Southside, Birmingham, AL D+42
- Glen Iris, Birmingham, AL D+56
- Highland Park, Birmingham, AL D+36
- Redmont Park, Birmingham, AL R+10
- Forest Park, Birmingham, AL D+28
- Norwood, Birmingham, AL D+74
- Arlington, Birmingham, AL D+90
- Crestline, Birmingham, AL Even
- Crossgate, Vestavia Hills, AL R+4
- Belview Heights, Birmingham, AL D+90
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Layton Park, Milwaukee, WI D+31
- Colonial Gardens, Chicago, IL D+20
- Riverside, Jacksonville, FL D+27
- West Meade, Nashville, TN D+6
- Liberty Wells, Salt Lake City, UT D+64
- Scenic Foothills, Anchorage, AK D+23
- Chinatown, Manhattan, NY D+41
- Piper Glen Estates, Charlotte, NC D+5
- Forest View, Lansing, MI D+54
- Washington Park, Providence, RI D+39
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.