50131 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 91% of adults in 50131 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50131, ~49% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50131 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50131 leans more Democratic than 21 of 36 neighbors.
50131 runs about 21 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 50131 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50131. The southwest side runs the most Democratic (D+15) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+14), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 50131 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 50131, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 57% of adults in 50131 hold a bachelor's degree, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 50131 sits in the top fifth on density (about 76%, above 81% of zip codes). 50131 runs against the grain of Iowa, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 50131, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 50131 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 50131 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 74%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 50131 have completed high school, above 87% 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.