50248 leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About more than 99% of adults in 50248 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50248, ~43% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~0% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50248 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50248 leans more Republican than 5 of 14 neighbors.
Politically, 50248 sits close to the rest of Iowa.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50248. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+24) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+9), a spread of about 15 points.
Why 50248 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 50248, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in 50248 drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 50248, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 50248 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 50248 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 50248 have completed high school, above 85% 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.