Downtown Des Moines is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Downtown Des Moines typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown Des Moines, ~53% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown Des Moines compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown Des Moines is the most Democratic-leaning.
Downtown Des Moines runs about 66 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Downtown Des Moines is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Downtown Des Moines leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Downtown Des Moines, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Downtown Des Moines votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Downtown Des Moines runs about 66 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Downtown Des Moines sits in the top quarter (about 64%, above 85% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 75% of adults in Downtown Des Moines have never been married, in the top fraction of neighborhoods.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, 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 Downtown Des Moines looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Downtown Des Moines 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 71%, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Indianola Hills, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Drake, Des Moines, IA D+50
- Union Park, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Pioneer Park, Des Moines, IA D+22
- Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA D+12
- Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA D+18
- South Park, Des Moines, IA D+14
- Fairground, Des Moines, IA D+19
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Park Santiago, Santa Ana, CA D+22
- Park Crossing, Charlotte, NC D+20
- Highlands-Providence, Fall River, MA R+4
- Mount Auburn, Cincinnati, OH D+67
- Denver Heights, San Antonio, TX D+41
- Upper West Ridge, Woodinville, WA D+42
- Coronado, Kansas City, KS D+40
- Las Positas, Santa Barbara, CA D+45
- Los Cerritos, Long Beach, CA D+40
- Hodgin, Albuquerque, NM D+30
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.