Dakota City leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 86% of adults in Dakota City typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dakota City, ~25% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dakota City compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dakota City leans more Republican than 8 of 44 neighbors.
Dakota City runs about 28 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dakota City. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+52) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+38), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Dakota City 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 Dakota City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 10% of adults in Dakota City hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the Iowa average of 24%.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Dakota City, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Dakota City looks the way it does
Turnout in Dakota City 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
- Humboldt, IA R+36
- Rutland, IA R+54
- Badger, IA R+40
- Thor, IA R+51
- Hardy, IA R+54
- Clare, IA R+51
- Livermore, IA R+56
- Pioneer, IA R+52
- Gilmore City, IA R+53
- Bradgate, IA R+54
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ackworth, IA R+38
- Issue, MD R+29
- Eno, TN R+60
- South Corning, NY R+8
- Wann, OK R+71
- Stronghurst, IL R+48
- Pioche, NV R+65
- Kootenai, ID R+44
- Larue, TX R+75
- Smiths Bend, TX R+75
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.