Drake leans heavily Democratic by roughly 50 points: about 75% of voters vote Democratic and 25% Republican.
About 53% of adults in Drake typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Drake, ~40% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~47% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Drake compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Drake leans more Democratic than 16 of 17 neighbors.
Drake runs about 63 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Drake is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Drake. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+63) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+42), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Drake 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 Drake, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Drake votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Drake runs about 63 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 61% of adults in Drake have never been married, above 94% of neighborhoods.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as Drake, Des Moines, IA does.
Why turnout in Drake looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Drake sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Beaverdale, Des Moines, IA D+39
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
- Merle Hay, Des Moines, IA D+24
- Lower Beaver, Des Moines, IA D+23
- Oak Park, Des Moines, IA D+27
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Union Park, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Meredith, Des Moines, IA D+17
- Highland Park, Des Moines, IA D+19
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- West Bench, Boise, ID D+4
- Lower Northwood, Baltimore, MD D+84
- Riverside, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Windsor Park, Charlotte, NC D+44
- West Garfield Park, Chicago, IL D+81
- Adamsville, Atlanta, GA D+86
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ D+63
- College Point, Queens, NY R+6
- Avenues West, Milwaukee, WI D+52
- South East, Pasadena, CA D+56
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.