51401 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 94% of adults in 51401 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 51401, ~30% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 51401 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 51401 is the least Republican-leaning.
51401 runs about 23 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 51401. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+31), a spread of about 23 points.
Why 51401 leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in 51401. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 51401, IA sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 51401 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 51401 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. 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.