Glen Iris is a Democratic stronghold. About 78% of voters here vote Democratic and 22% Republican.
About 44% of adults in Glen Iris typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Glen Iris, ~34% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~56% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Glen Iris compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Glen Iris leans more Democratic than 6 of 9 neighbors.
Glen Iris runs about 86 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Glen Iris is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Glen Iris. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+88) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+46), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Glen Iris 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 Glen Iris, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Glen Iris votes against the grain of Alabama. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Glen Iris runs about 86 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 58% of adults in Glen Iris have never been married, above 91% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Glen Iris, Birmingham, AL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Glen Iris looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 74% of households in Glen Iris rent, about 49 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Glen Iris sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Five Points South, Birmingham, AL D+44
- Arlington, Birmingham, AL D+90
- Southside, Birmingham, AL D+42
- Redmont Park, Birmingham, AL R+10
- Highland Park, Birmingham, AL D+36
- Norwood, Birmingham, AL D+74
- Crossgate, Vestavia Hills, AL R+4
- Forest Park, Birmingham, AL D+28
- Belview Heights, Birmingham, AL D+90
- Crestline, Birmingham, AL Even
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Bon Air, Louisville, KY D+31
- Boise, Portland, OR D+81
- West Highland, Denver, CO D+65
- Chicot West, Little Rock, AR D+46
- Walker's Point, Milwaukee, WI D+49
- Gentilly Terrace, New Orleans, LA D+75
- The Pueblo, Las Vegas, NV D+13
- Georgian Acres, Austin, TX D+48
- International District, Seattle, WA D+61
- East Watertown, Watertown Town, MA D+62
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.