52801 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 33% of adults in 52801 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 52801, ~22% vote Democratic, ~10% Republican, and ~68% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 52801 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 52801 is the most Democratic-leaning.
52801 runs about 49 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 52801 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 52801 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 52801, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
52801 votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while 52801 runs about 49 points more Democratic. Density combined with diversity predicts Democratic voting, and non-Hispanic white share in 52801 is about 59%, below 77% of zip codes. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 70% of adults in 52801 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 52801, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 52801 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 52801 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 47%, about 21 points below the Iowa average of 68%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 99% of households in 52801 rent, compared to around 31% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 35% of adults in 52801 report food insecurity, above 96% 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.