51501 leans slightly Republican by roughly 10 points: about 45% of voters vote Democratic and 55% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 51501 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 51501, ~28% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 51501 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 51501 leans more Republican than 32 of 44 neighbors.
Politically, 51501 sits close to the rest of Iowa.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 51501. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+3) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+22), a spread of about 25 points.
Why 51501 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 51501, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
51501 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 88%, far above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 51501 sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 79% of zip codes).
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as 51501, IA does.
Why turnout in 51501 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 36% of households in 51501 rent, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 85% of adults in 51501 have completed high school, below 80% 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.