50312 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 48 points: about 74% of voters vote Democratic and 26% Republican.
About 84% of adults in 50312 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50312, ~62% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50312 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50312 leans more Democratic than 32 of 34 neighbors.
50312 runs about 61 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 50312 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50312. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+60) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+39), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 50312 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 50312, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 62% of adults in 50312 hold a bachelor's degree, about 34 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 50312 sits in the top fifth on density (about 93%, above 90% of zip codes). 50312 runs against the grain of Iowa, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 50312, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 50312 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 50312 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 98% of adults in 50312 have completed high school, above 96% 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.