51249 is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About more than 99% of adults in 51249 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 51249, ~26% vote Democratic, ~78% Republican, and ~-4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 51249 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 51249 is the least Republican-leaning.
51249 runs about 38 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 51249. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+47), a spread of about 16 points.
Why 51249 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 51249, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 83% of residents in 51249 drive to work alone, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 74%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 51249, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 51249 looks the way it does
Turnout in 51249 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.