Forestdale is a Democratic stronghold. About 86% of voters here vote Democratic and 14% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Forestdale typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Forestdale, ~65% vote Democratic, ~11% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Forestdale compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Forestdale leans more Democratic than 77 of 81 neighbors.
Forestdale runs about 103 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Forestdale is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Forestdale. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+85) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+51), a spread of about 35 points.
Why Forestdale 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 Forestdale, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting. Non-Hispanic white share in Forestdale is about 22%, about 51 points below the U.S. average of 72%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in Forestdale have never been married, above 93% of cities. Forestdale 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; Forestdale, AL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Forestdale looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Forestdale is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 56%, below 73% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Docena, AL D+53
- Adamsville, AL D+31
- Brookside, AL R+45
- McDonald Chapel, AL D+32
- Fultondale, AL R+3
- Graysville, AL R+16
- Maytown, AL R+34
- Fairfield, AL D+89
- Mount Olive, AL R+58
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lambertville, MI R+25
- Princeton, IN R+41
- Fort Scott, KS R+41
- Succasunna, NJ R+16
- Commerce, TX R+7
- Carl Junction, MO R+47
- Coffeyville, KS R+31
- Lonoke, AR R+47
- Center Valley, PA Even
- Fairdale, KY R+27
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.