Baxter leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Baxter typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Baxter, ~27% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Baxter compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Baxter leans more Republican than 38 of 59 neighbors.
Baxter runs about 26 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Baxter. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+47) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+37), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Baxter leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Baxter. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Baxter, IA sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Baxter looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Baxter 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 Cities
- Ira, IA R+45
- Rhodes, IA R+47
- Goddard, IA R+45
- Mingo, IA R+43
- Melbourne, IA R+44
- Lambs Grove, IA R+37
- Collins, IA R+38
- Van Cleve, IA R+47
- Newton, IA R+20
- Green Castle, IA R+40
Cities with Similar Populations
- Henderson, MI R+37
- Manitou, KY R+62
- Brookdale, CA D+36
- Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA R+32
- Surrey, ND R+64
- Tye, TX R+66
- St. Francis, KS R+67
- Bowman, ND R+58
- Port Washington, OH R+63
- Westpoint, IN R+30
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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.