Palo Alto County leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About more than 99% of adults in Palo Alto County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Palo Alto County, ~28% vote Democratic, ~73% Republican, and ~-1% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Palo Alto County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Palo Alto County leans more Republican than 8 of 11 neighbors.
Palo Alto County runs about 31 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Palo Alto County. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+55) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Palo Alto County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Palo Alto 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; Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Palo Alto 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Emmet County, IA R+37
- Kossuth County, IA R+45
- Clay County, IA R+34
- Pocahontas County, IA R+48
- Dickinson County, IA R+34
- Humboldt County, IA R+43
- Buena Vista County, IA R+21
- Martin County, MN R+38
- Jackson County, MN R+42
- Calhoun County, IA R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Mitchell County, TX R+50
- Crittenden County, KY R+68
- Kemper County, MS D+23
- Turner County, GA R+19
- Cuming County, NE R+63
- Phelps County, NE R+58
- Stillwater County, MT R+57
- Cloud County, KS R+55
- Marshall County, MN R+53
- Dawson County, MT R+55
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.