50616 leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 98% of adults in 50616 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50616, ~38% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~2% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50616 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50616 is the least Republican-leaning.
50616 runs about 9 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 50616. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+42) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+15), a spread of about 27 points.
Why 50616 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 50616, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in 50616 drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 50616 sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 76% of zip codes).
Local retail density and voter turnout
Places with dense local retail within a mile tend to turn out at a higher rate; 50616, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Nearby retail does not change how people vote; it reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 50616 looks the way it does
Turnout in 50616 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.