Mitchell County leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 95% of adults in Mitchell County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Mitchell County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~5% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Mitchell County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Mitchell County leans more Republican than 9 of 14 neighbors.
Mitchell County runs about 23 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Mitchell County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+50) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+27), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Mitchell County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Mitchell County. 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; Mitchell County, 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 Mitchell County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Mitchell County 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Floyd County, IA R+30
- Worth County, IA R+37
- Mower County, MN R+13
- Cerro Gordo County, IA R+18
- Howard County, IA R+35
- Chickasaw County, IA R+40
- Freeborn County, MN R+22
- Winnebago County, IA R+28
- Butler County, IA R+43
- Fillmore County, MN R+32
Counties with Similar Populations
- Walsh County, ND R+46
- Bollinger County, MO R+70
- Colfax County, NE R+27
- Bradley County, AR R+30
- Custer County, NE R+68
- Essex County, VA R+8
- Wilcox County, AL D+22
- Crawford County, IN R+52
- Leslie County, KY R+76
- Guthrie County, IA R+41
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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.