Pickens County leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Pickens County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pickens County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pickens County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Pickens County leans more Republican than 8 of 10 neighbors.
Pickens County runs about 9 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Pickens County. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+18) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+81), a spread of about 99 points.
Why Pickens 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 Pickens County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 7% of residents in Pickens County live in densely developed areas, about 12 points below the Alabama average of 19%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Pickens County sits in the bottom quarter (about 13%, below 94% of counties).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Pickens County, AL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Pickens County looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 28% of adults in Pickens County report food insecurity, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Pickens County sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 86% of adults in Pickens County have completed high school, below 77% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lowndes County, MS Even
- Noxubee County, MS D+49
- Greene County, AL D+53
- Tuscaloosa County, AL R+9
- Lamar County, AL R+77
- Fayette County, AL R+68
- Clay County, MS D+18
- Hale County, AL D+13
- Oktibbeha County, MS D+3
- Kemper County, MS D+23
Counties with Similar Populations
- Gem County, ID R+58
- McDowell County, WV R+56
- Beadle County, SD R+46
- Perry County, IN R+39
- Ashley County, AR R+46
- Roosevelt County, NM R+37
- Butler County, AL R+13
- Kent County, MD Even
- Polk County, AR R+63
- Green Lake County, WI R+34
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.