52216 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 94% of adults in 52216 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 52216, ~30% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 52216 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 52216 leans more Republican than 3 of 12 neighbors.
52216 runs about 23 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 52216. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+33), a spread of about 13 points.
Why 52216 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 52216, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 52216, about 98% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the Iowa average of 24%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 83% of residents in 52216 drive to work alone, above 81% of zip codes.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as 52216, IA does.
Why turnout in 52216 looks the way it does
Turnout in 52216 sits close to the national pattern. 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.