Fort des Moines leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Fort des Moines typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Fort des Moines, ~38% vote Democratic, ~26% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Fort des Moines compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Fort des Moines leans more Democratic than 4 of 10 neighbors.
Fort des Moines runs about 31 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Fort des Moines is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Fort des Moines. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+23) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+13), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Fort 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 Fort des Moines, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Fort des Moines votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Fort des Moines runs about 31 points more Democratic.
Overall lean vs. state and nation
Fort des Moines, Des Moines, IA leans Democratic compared with its state and the country.
Why turnout in Fort des Moines looks the way it does
Turnout in Fort des Moines 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 Neighborhoods
- Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA D+12
- South Park, Des Moines, IA D+14
- Indianola Hills, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Pioneer Park, Des Moines, IA D+22
- Bloomfield-Allen, Des Moines, IA D+4
- Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA D+18
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Fairground, Des Moines, IA D+19
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Bayside West, Tampa, FL Even
- Knollwood, Kalamazoo, MI D+42
- Camden, Salisbury, MD D+26
- La Cresta-Alta Vista, Bakersfield, CA R+14
- Nashua Historic District, Nashua, NH D+24
- Stanford, Roseville, CA R+5
- Bensville, Waldorf, MD D+53
- Strawberry Hill, Cambridge, MA D+78
- Hall Manor, Harrisburg, PA D+59
- Chapel Hill Village, Indianapolis, IN D+33
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.