50542 leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 79% of adults in 50542 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50542, ~23% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50542 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50542 leans more Republican than 5 of 10 neighbors.
50542 runs about 29 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 50542 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 50542, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 6% of residents in 50542 live in densely developed areas, about 10 points below the Iowa average of 16%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 50542, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 50542 looks the way it does
Turnout in 50542 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.