Lincoln leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 94% of adults in Lincoln typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lincoln, ~24% vote Democratic, ~70% Republican, and ~6% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lincoln compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Lincoln leans more Republican than 42 of 46 neighbors.
Lincoln runs about 34 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Lincoln leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Lincoln. 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; Lincoln, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Lincoln looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Lincoln 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in Lincoln have completed high school, above 98% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Gladbrook, IA R+41
- Morrison, IA R+38
- Reinbeck, IA R+37
- Beaman, IA R+42
- Grundy Center, IA R+43
- Conrad, IA R+42
- Garwin, IA R+37
- Voorhies, IA R+42
- Traer, IA R+27
- Zaneta, IA R+34
Cities with Similar Populations
- Primehook Beach, DE R+8
- Kahler, CO R+31
- Millerville, LA R+84
- Newtok, AK D+22
- Kathryn, ND R+53
- Mobeetie, TX R+81
- Siluria, AL R+59
- Lula, MS R+4
- Freeman, IA R+38
- Slate Spring, MS R+67
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.