Shell Rock leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 96% of adults in Shell Rock typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shell Rock, ~30% vote Democratic, ~66% Republican, and ~4% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shell Rock compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shell Rock leans more Republican than 16 of 47 neighbors.
Shell Rock runs about 26 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shell Rock. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+34), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Shell Rock leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Shell Rock. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Local retail density and voter turnout
Places with dense local retail within a mile tend to turn out at a higher rate; Shell Rock, IA sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Nearby retail does not change how people vote; it reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Shell Rock looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Shell Rock 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Clarksville, IA R+46
- Waverly, IA R+13
- Janesville, IA R+27
- New Hartford, IA R+40
- Packard, IA R+49
- Plainfield, IA R+47
- Allison, IA R+46
- Horton, IA R+45
- North Cedar, IA R+19
- Bremer, IA R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sundance, WY R+69
- Morgan, GA D+5
- New Sharon, IA R+52
- Whitewood, SD R+53
- Sunray, TX R+61
- Union City, OK R+69
- St. Ansgar, IA R+34
- Guthrie, KY R+37
- Staffordsville, KY R+68
- Newborn, GA R+63
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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.