51101 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 35% of adults in 51101 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 51101, ~19% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~65% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 51101 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 51101 is the most Democratic-leaning.
51101 runs about 24 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 51101 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 51101 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 51101, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 95% of residents in 51101 live in densely developed areas, about 59 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 46% of adults in 51101 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes. 51101 runs against the grain of Iowa, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 51101, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 51101 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 51101 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 49%, about 19 points below the Iowa average of 68%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 96% of households in 51101 rent, compared to around 36% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 32% of adults in 51101 report food insecurity, above 95% 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.