Clarinda leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Clarinda typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Clarinda, ~23% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Clarinda compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Clarinda is the least Republican-leaning.
Clarinda runs about 21 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Clarinda. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+51) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+13), a spread of about 38 points.
Why Clarinda 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 Clarinda, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Clarinda votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 36%, well above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Clarinda, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Clarinda looks the way it does
Turnout in Clarinda 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
- Shambaugh, IA R+56
- Hawleyville, IA R+56
- Yorktown, IA R+55
- Hepburn, IA R+54
- New Market, IA R+59
- College Springs, IA R+58
- Norwich, IA R+54
- Braddyville, IA R+58
- Siam, IA R+58
- Coin, IA R+57
Cities with Similar Populations
- Orwigsburg, PA R+33
- Hunlock Creek, PA R+18
- Lithia, FL R+58
- Kenedy, TX R+26
- Turners Falls, MA D+25
- Metamora, IL R+30
- St. Stephen, SC D+7
- Lee, NH Even
- Silver Creek, GA R+67
- Milton, WA D+5
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.