50837 is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 74% of adults in 50837 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 50837, ~19% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 50837 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 50837 leans more Republican than 5 of 8 neighbors.
50837 runs about 38 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 50837 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 50837, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. 50837 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%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 50837, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 50837 looks the way it does
Turnout in 50837 sits close to the national pattern. 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.