Kanawha is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Kanawha typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kanawha, ~18% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kanawha compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kanawha leans more Republican than 25 of 42 neighbors.
Kanawha runs about 38 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Kanawha leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Kanawha. 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; Kanawha, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Kanawha looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Kanawha 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Corwith, IA R+52
- Stilson, IA R+52
- Goodell, IA R+51
- Cornelia, IA R+49
- Hanna, IA R+57
- Belmond, IA R+35
- Britt, IA R+37
- Klemme, IA R+51
- Renwick, IA R+53
- Hutchins, IA R+51
Cities with Similar Populations
- Wykoff, MN R+40
- Bloomingdale, NY D+14
- Oakville, VA R+42
- Star City, IN R+57
- Spruce Head, ME D+5
- Grant City, MO R+60
- Westphalia, MO R+75
- Armour, SD R+59
- Grand Isle, LA R+61
- Hainesville, NJ R+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.