50518 is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 50518 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50518, ~18% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50518 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50518 leans more Republican than 5 of 11 neighbors.
50518 runs about 38 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 50518 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 50518, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. 50518 sits in the bottom quarter on density and about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 6 points above the Iowa average of 91%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 85% of households in 50518 are family households, above 98% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 50518, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 50518 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 50518 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%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 97% of households in 50518 own their home, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 50518 have completed high school, above 89% 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.