51053 leans heavily Republican by roughly 50 points: about 25% of voters vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 77% of adults in 51053 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 51053, ~19% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 51053 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 51053 leans more Republican than 2 of 9 neighbors.
51053 runs about 36 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 51053 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 51053, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in 51053 drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 51053, IA sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 51053 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 51053 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 88% of households in 51053 own their home, above 82% 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.