Indianola Hills leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Indianola Hills typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Indianola Hills, ~36% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Indianola Hills compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Indianola Hills leans more Democratic than 5 of 17 neighbors.
Indianola Hills runs about 28 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Indianola Hills is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Indianola Hills. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+22) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+11), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Indianola Hills 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 Indianola Hills, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Indianola Hills votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Indianola Hills runs about 28 points more Democratic.
Developed land and Democratic lean
Places with a heavily developed built environment tend to lean Democratic; Indianola Hills, Des Moines, IA sits above the national average on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Indianola Hills looks the way it does
Turnout in Indianola Hills 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
- South Park, Des Moines, IA D+14
- Pioneer Park, Des Moines, IA D+22
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
- Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA D+12
- Fort des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+17
- Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA D+18
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Bloomfield-Allen, Des Moines, IA D+4
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Fairground, Des Moines, IA D+19
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Southwood Valley, College Station, TX D+13
- Castlemont, Oakland, CA D+63
- Covell Park, Davis, CA D+72
- Lamar Heights Area, Arvada, CO D+20
- Waller, Tacoma, WA R+4
- Coral Ridge Country Club Estates, Fort Lauderdale, FL R+12
- West Village, Oxnard, CA D+29
- Schoolcraft Southfield, Detroit, MI D+88
- Mission San Jose, San Antonio, TX D+29
- Glenham-Belhar, Baltimore, MD D+74
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.