Calhoun County leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Calhoun County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Calhoun County, ~23% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Calhoun County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Calhoun County leans more Republican than 10 of 13 neighbors.
Calhoun County runs about 34 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Calhoun County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+57) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+40), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Calhoun County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Calhoun County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Calhoun County, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Calhoun County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Calhoun County 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Calhoun County own their home, above 85% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Webster County, IA R+22
- Sac County, IA R+51
- Pocahontas County, IA R+48
- Carroll County, IA R+44
- Greene County, IA R+39
- Humboldt County, IA R+43
- Buena Vista County, IA R+21
- Hamilton County, IA R+34
- Ida County, IA R+57
- Boone County, IA R+24
Counties with Similar Populations
- Webster County, MS R+60
- Runnels County, TX R+64
- Sabine County, TX R+72
- Lanier County, GA R+43
- Parmer County, TX R+50
- Yuma County, CO R+60
- Jackson County, MN R+42
- Carroll County, MS R+40
- Pulaski County, GA R+31
- Ochiltree County, TX R+58
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.