South East Lake is a Democratic stronghold. About 85% of voters here vote Democratic and 15% Republican.
About 55% of adults in South East Lake typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South East Lake, ~47% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South East Lake compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South East Lake leans more Democratic than 5 of 6 neighbors.
South East Lake runs about 101 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while South East Lake is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South East Lake. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+79) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+58), a spread of about 22 points.
Why South East Lake 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 South East Lake, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
South East Lake votes against the grain of Alabama. Alabama leans Republican overall, while South East Lake runs about 101 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; South East Lake, Birmingham, AL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in South East Lake looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 38% of adults in South East Lake report food insecurity, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and South East Lake sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Roebuck, Birmingham, AL D+70
- Huffman, Birmingham, AL D+62
- Crestline, Birmingham, AL Even
- Spring Lake, Birmingham, AL D+68
- Forest Park, Birmingham, AL D+28
- Echo Highlands, Birmingham, AL D+77
- Highland Park, Birmingham, AL D+36
- Norwood, Birmingham, AL D+74
- Southside, Birmingham, AL D+42
- Redmont Park, Birmingham, AL R+10
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Dicken, Ann Arbor, MI D+71
- North Rosslyn, Arlington, VA D+57
- Knoxville, Pittsburgh, PA D+59
- Franklin South, Provo, UT R+10
- North Star, Anchorage, AK D+32
- South Pier, Sheboygan, WI D+12
- Oakwood Gardens, St. Petersburg, FL D+16
- North Sifton-Orchards Area, Orchards, WA Even
- Moorland-Rimrock, Madison, WI D+54
- Lackawanna, Jacksonville, FL D+61
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.