Buena Vista County leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Buena Vista County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buena Vista County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Buena Vista County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Buena Vista County is the least Republican-leaning.
Buena Vista County runs about 7 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Buena Vista County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+52) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 47 points.
Why Buena Vista County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Buena Vista County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Non-English at home and voter turnout
Places with a low non-English-at-home share tend to turn out at a higher rate; Buena Vista County, IA sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Buena Vista County looks the way it does
Turnout in Buena Vista County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Cherokee County, IA R+42
- Sac County, IA R+51
- Pocahontas County, IA R+48
- Ida County, IA R+57
- Clay County, IA R+34
- Calhoun County, IA R+48
- Palo Alto County, IA R+44
- O'Brien County, IA R+54
- Crawford County, IA R+37
- Carroll County, IA R+44
Counties with Similar Populations
- Sullivan County, IN R+49
- Bandera County, TX R+59
- Worth County, GA R+49
- Washington County, NE R+42
- Dodge County, MN R+31
- Ogemaw County, MI R+40
- Carroll County, IA R+44
- Pointe Coupee Parish, LA R+25
- Conway County, AR R+47
- Perry County, IL R+49
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.