50011 leans Democratic by roughly 24 points: about 62% of voters vote Democratic and 38% Republican.
About 57% of adults in 50011 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50011, ~36% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50011 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50011 leans more Democratic than 14 of 16 neighbors.
50011 runs about 38 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 50011 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50011. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+36) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 21 points.
Why 50011 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 50011, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 76% of adults in 50011 hold a bachelor's degree, about 48 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 50011 sits in the top fifth on density (about 85%, above 85% of zip codes). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and more than 99% of adults in 50011 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 50011, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 50011 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. More than 99% of households in 50011 rent, about 75 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 26% of adults in 50011 report food insecurity, above 90% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 97% of adults in 50011 have completed high school, above 86% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Iowa 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.