Lafayette leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 86% of adults in Lafayette typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lafayette, ~28% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lafayette compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Lafayette leans more Republican than 29 of 51 neighbors.
Lafayette runs about 20 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Lafayette leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Lafayette. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Lafayette, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Lafayette looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Lafayette 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Lafayette have completed high school, above 88% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Alburnett, IA R+34
- Toddville, IA R+28
- Center Point, IA R+29
- Robins, IA R+6
- Troy Mills, IA R+11
- Hiawatha, IA D+4
- Palo, IA R+27
- Marion, IA Even
- Central City, IA R+29
- Walker, IA R+35
Cities with Similar Populations
- Hereford, MD R+10
- Buford, KY R+66
- The Borough, NC R+17
- Lodi, TX R+48
- Sinai, KY R+63
- Sisquoc, CA R+26
- Oppenheim, NY R+52
- Clear Creek, WV R+76
- Little Needmore, KY R+33
- Pitts, KY R+68
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.