Lower Beaver leans Democratic by roughly 22 points: about 61% of voters vote Democratic and 39% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Lower Beaver typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lower Beaver, ~43% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lower Beaver compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Lower Beaver leans more Democratic than 3 of 10 neighbors.
Lower Beaver runs about 36 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Lower Beaver is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why Lower Beaver 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 Lower Beaver, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Lower Beaver votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Lower Beaver runs about 36 points more Democratic.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Lower Beaver, Des Moines, IA sits above the national average on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Lower Beaver looks the way it does
Turnout in Lower Beaver 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
- Meredith, Des Moines, IA D+17
- Beaverdale, Des Moines, IA D+39
- Oak Park, Des Moines, IA D+27
- Merle Hay, Des Moines, IA D+24
- Drake, Des Moines, IA D+50
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Highland Park, Des Moines, IA D+19
- Union Park, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Chief Garry Park, Spokane, WA D+12
- Indian Hill, Chicago Heights, IL D+53
- Van Steuban, Detroit, MI D+84
- Rum Village, South Bend, IN D+29
- Oak Grove, Springfield, MO Even
- Wildhorse, San Antonio, TX D+2
- Downtown Binghamton, Binghamton, NY D+30
- Warrendale, Waltham, MA D+38
- North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND D+7
- West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM D+24
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.