Tuscaloosa leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 54% of adults in Tuscaloosa typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Tuscaloosa, ~33% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Tuscaloosa compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Tuscaloosa leans more Democratic than 43 of 45 neighbors.
Tuscaloosa runs about 54 points more Democratic than Alabama as a whole. Alabama leans Republican overall, while Tuscaloosa is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Tuscaloosa. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+75) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (Even), a spread of about 76 points.
Why Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 77% of residents in Tuscaloosa live in densely developed areas, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Tuscaloosa sits in the top quarter (about 36%, above 83% of cities). Tuscaloosa runs against the grain of Alabama, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Tuscaloosa, AL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Tuscaloosa looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 55% of households in Tuscaloosa rent, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Tuscaloosa sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 27% of adults in Tuscaloosa report food insecurity, above 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Holt, AL D+23
- Cottondale, AL R+29
- Duncanville, AL R+59
- Northport, AL R+35
- Howton, AL R+77
- Fleetwood, AL R+76
- Coker, AL R+64
- Coaling, AL R+61
- Buhl, AL R+72
- Romulus, AL R+57
Cities with Similar Populations
- Clovis, CA R+12
- Gresham, OR D+15
- Chico, CA D+15
- Fairfield, CA D+22
- Manchester, NH D+21
- Vista, CA D+10
- Warren, MI D+10
- West Jordan, UT R+7
- Pflugerville, TX D+28
- Yakima, WA 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.