The demography of the district consists mostly of middle and upper middle-class white-collar white families whose adults work in Birmingham.

The African American population of the region has remained largely in more urban areas, even as the upper-class live in income-related neighborhoods.

In 2004 it voted 78% for Republican George W. Bush in the presidential election (in keeping with the current proportion of white majority of its population).

John McCain swept the district in 2008, taking 75.91% of the vote while Barack Obama received 23.28%.

Birmingham was once the vanguard district for steel production and metalworking in the South, but restructuring of heavy industries hollowed out the economy of the city, taking many jobs with it.

Voters are socially conservative; however, fiscal conservatism is the most salient feature of this district.

It encompassed the northeastern portion of Alabama, approximately the modern counties of DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Etowah, St. Clair, Blount and Cullman.

It also encompassed Jefferson, Marion, Walker, Morgan, Limestone, Franklin, Lauderdale and Winston counties.

It was forced to redistrict after a 1972 Supreme Court case based on the principle of one man-one vote.