Highland Park leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 48% of adults in Highland Park typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Highland Park, ~28% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~52% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Highland Park compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Highland Park leans more Democratic than 6 of 16 neighbors.
Highland Park runs about 32 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Highland Park is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Highland Park. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+30) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+3), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Highland Park 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 Highland Park, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Highland Park votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Highland Park runs about 32 points more Democratic.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Highland Park, Des Moines, IA sits above the national average on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Highland Park looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 8% of homes in Highland Park have more than one occupant per room, above 87% of neighborhoods. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 77% of adults in Highland Park have completed high school, below 89% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Union Park, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Oak Park, Des Moines, IA D+27
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Fairmont Park, Des Moines, IA D+7
- Douglas Acres, Des Moines, IA D+4
- Lower Beaver, Des Moines, IA D+23
- Accent, Des Moines, IA D+9
- Drake, Des Moines, IA D+50
- Fairground, Des Moines, IA D+19
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Nubian Square, Boston, MA D+65
- City Park, Denver, CO D+73
- Franklinton, Columbus, OH D+35
- Bryant Pattengill East, Ann Arbor, MI D+64
- Hanson Park, Chicago, IL D+43
- West End, Fontana, CA D+13
- Parker Lane, Austin, TX D+59
- University Hill, Syracuse, NY D+58
- Carmel Mountain, San Diego, CA D+26
- St. Dennis, Louisville, KY D+39
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.