Cherokee County leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 94% of adults in Cherokee County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cherokee County, ~27% vote Democratic, ~67% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cherokee County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cherokee County leans more Republican than 5 of 12 neighbors.
Cherokee County runs about 29 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cherokee County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+55) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+39), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Cherokee County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Cherokee County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Cherokee County, IA does.
Why turnout in Cherokee County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Cherokee 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Buena Vista County, IA R+21
- Ida County, IA R+57
- O'Brien County, IA R+54
- Plymouth County, IA R+49
- Clay County, IA R+34
- Sac County, IA R+51
- Sioux County, IA R+55
- Woodbury County, IA R+9
- Osceola County, IA R+57
- Pocahontas County, IA R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Ward County, TX R+56
- Barton County, MO R+65
- Magoffin County, KY R+67
- Iron County, MI R+24
- Teton County, ID R+21
- Jackson County, TN R+65
- Trousdale County, TN R+59
- Ramsey County, ND R+30
- Conecuh County, AL R+7
- Red River County, TX R+51
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.