Chariton leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Chariton typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Chariton, ~26% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chariton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Chariton leans more Republican than 2 of 43 neighbors.
Chariton runs about 25 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Chariton. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+48) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Chariton leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Chariton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Chariton votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 42%, well above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Chariton, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Chariton looks the way it does
Turnout in Chariton 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 Cities
- Russell, IA R+53
- Williamson, IA R+52
- Oakley, IA R+50
- Lucas, IA R+52
- Derby, IA R+52
- Millerton, IA R+55
- Newbern, IA R+48
- Norwood, IA R+51
- Lacona, IA R+46
- Melrose, IA R+51
Cities with Similar Populations
- McBain, MI R+51
- Middletown, IN R+53
- Nottingham, NH R+10
- Minot Afb, ND R+21
- Masury, OH R+21
- Wrightwood, CA R+15
- Clifton Forge, VA R+31
- Morrisville, VT D+21
- Guerneville, CA D+53
- Marion, MA D+14
All Local Stats
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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.