Monroe County leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Monroe County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Monroe County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Monroe County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Monroe County leans more Republican than 9 of 15 neighbors.
Monroe County runs about 30 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Monroe County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Monroe County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Monroe County, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Monroe County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Monroe 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 82% of households in Monroe County own their home, above 86% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Monroe County have completed high school, above 93% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Appanoose County, IA R+43
- Wapello County, IA R+26
- Mahaska County, IA R+38
- Marion County, IA R+34
- Lucas County, IA R+44
- Davis County, IA R+59
- Wayne County, IA R+56
- Putnam County, MO R+68
- Keokuk County, IA R+47
- Schuyler County, MO R+67
Counties with Similar Populations
- Valley County, MT R+48
- Clay County, TN R+67
- Dade County, MO R+67
- Grant County, SD R+52
- Cleveland County, AR R+69
- Boise County, ID R+50
- Nicholas County, KY R+60
- Red River Parish, LA R+19
- McCulloch County, TX R+56
- Doniphan County, KS R+58
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.