Fayette County leans heavily Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 91% of adults in Fayette County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Fayette County, ~32% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Fayette County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Fayette County leans more Republican than 5 of 12 neighbors.
Fayette County runs about 17 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Fayette County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+19), a spread of about 26 points.
Why Fayette County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Fayette County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Fayette County, IA sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Fayette County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Fayette 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 64%, above 73% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Buchanan County, IA R+36
- Bremer County, IA R+25
- Clayton County, IA R+39
- Chickasaw County, IA R+40
- Winneshiek County, IA R+13
- Delaware County, IA R+39
- Black Hawk County, IA D+3
- Allamakee County, IA R+32
- Howard County, IA R+35
- Butler County, IA R+43
Counties with Similar Populations
- Adair County, OK R+54
- Langlade County, WI R+35
- Spencer County, KY R+56
- Macon County, AL D+57
- Jackson County, IA R+35
- East Feliciana Parish, LA R+24
- Chaffee County, CO D+6
- Wayne County, KY R+65
- Lincoln County, WY R+66
- Marion County, KY R+50
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.