50609 leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 77% of adults in 50609 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50609, ~22% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50609 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50609 leans more Republican than 6 of 13 neighbors.
50609 runs about 28 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 50609 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 50609, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. 50609 sits in the bottom quarter on density and about 93% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 72%.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 50609, IA sits in the top quarter 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 50609 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 50609 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 50609 have completed high school, above 91% 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.