52241 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 44 points: about 72% of voters vote Democratic and 28% Republican.
About 77% of adults in 52241 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 52241, ~56% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 52241 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 52241 leans more Democratic than 12 of 15 neighbors.
52241 runs about 57 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 52241 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 52241. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+56) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+27), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 52241 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 52241, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 57% of adults in 52241 hold a bachelor's degree, about 28 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and 52241 sits in the top fifth on density (about 81%, above 83% of zip codes). 52241 runs against the grain of Iowa, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 52241, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 52241 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 52241 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 70%, about 10 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.