50048 is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 50048 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50048, ~18% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50048 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50048 is the most Republican-leaning.
50048 runs about 37 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50048. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+41), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 50048 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 50048, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with many family households vote Republican. About 74% of households in 50048 are family households, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 67%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 50048 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 79% of zip codes).
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 50048, IA sits in the bottom quarter 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 50048 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 88% of households in 50048 own their home, about 7 points above the Iowa average of 81%. 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.