Southside leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Southside typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Southside, ~39% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Southside compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Southside leans more Democratic than 4 of 8 neighbors.
Southside runs about 73 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Southside is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Southside. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+46) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+25), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Southside 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 Southside, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 67% of adults in Southside hold a bachelor's degree, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 64% of adults in Southside have never been married, above 95% of neighborhoods. Southside runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Southside, Birmingham, AL does.
Why turnout in Southside looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 75% of households in Southside rent, about 50 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and Southside sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Highland Park, Birmingham, AL D+36
- Five Points South, Birmingham, AL D+44
- Redmont Park, Birmingham, AL R+10
- Forest Park, Birmingham, AL D+28
- Norwood, Birmingham, AL D+74
- Glen Iris, Birmingham, AL D+56
- Crestline, Birmingham, AL Even
- Arlington, Birmingham, AL D+90
- Crossgate, Vestavia Hills, AL R+4
- South East Lake, Birmingham, AL D+71
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Highland Park, Chattanooga, TN D+42
- Bashford Manor, Louisville, KY D+40
- Tollgate Overlook, Aurora, CO D+36
- Uptown, Milwaukee, WI D+76
- Mantua, Fairfax, VA D+40
- Treme' Lafitte, New Orleans, LA D+76
- Cloverdale Watson, Little Rock, AR D+74
- Hampden South, Denver, CO D+37
- Rolling Mill Hill, Wilkes-Barre, PA D+13
- Seminole Holland, Springfield, MO R+4
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.