52251 leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 76% of adults in 52251 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 52251, ~20% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 52251 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 52251 leans more Republican than 11 of 14 neighbors.
52251 runs about 34 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why 52251 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 52251, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 9% of adults in 52251 hold a bachelor's degree, about 15 points below the Iowa average of 24%. Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. Non-Hispanic white share in 52251 is about 96%, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 72%.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as 52251, IA does.
Why turnout in 52251 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 91% of households in 52251 own their home, about 9 points above the Iowa average of 81%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 52251 have completed high school, above 81% 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.