Kirkwood is a Democratic stronghold. About 76% of voters here vote Democratic and 24% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Kirkwood typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kirkwood, ~49% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kirkwood compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Kirkwood leans more Democratic than 6 of 7 neighbors.
Kirkwood runs about 65 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Kirkwood is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Kirkwood. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+56) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+32), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Kirkwood votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Kirkwood runs about 65 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 50% of adults in Kirkwood have never been married, above 81% of neighborhoods.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Kirkwood, Coralville, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Kirkwood looks the way it does
Turnout in Kirkwood 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
- Weber, Iowa City, IA D+46
- Mann, Iowa City, IA D+51
- Wickham, Coralville, IA D+34
- Roosevelt, Iowa City, IA D+55
- Longfellow, Iowa City, IA D+48
- Twain, Iowa City, IA D+44
- Penn, North Liberty, IA D+23
- Lucas, Iowa City, IA D+45
- Southwest Area, Cedar Rapids, IA D+21
- Taylor, Cedar Rapids, IA D+24
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- East English Village, Detroit, MI D+83
- Metro Center, Springfield, MA D+44
- Hickory Ridge, Charlotte, NC D+53
- Cedar Hills, Cedar Rapids, IA D+20
- Elvira, Summit, AZ D+40
- Walteria, Torrance, CA D+19
- Old Seminol Heights, Tampa, FL D+36
- Avondale, Jacksonville, FL D+21
- Crescent Hill, Louisville, KY D+46
- Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, PA D+40
All Local Stats
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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.