South Park leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 63% of adults in South Park typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Park, ~36% vote Democratic, ~27% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Park compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, South Park leans more Democratic than 3 of 13 neighbors.
South Park runs about 27 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while South Park is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within South Park. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+19) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+8), a spread of about 10 points.
Why South Park 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 South Park, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
South Park votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while South Park runs about 27 points more Democratic.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; South Park, Des Moines, IA sits in the bottom quarter 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 South Park looks the way it does
Turnout in South Park 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
- Fort des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+17
- Pioneer Park, Des Moines, IA D+22
- Indianola Hills, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA D+12
- Bloomfield-Allen, Des Moines, IA D+4
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
- Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA D+18
- Fairground, Des Moines, IA D+19
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Arrowhead Park, Brick, NJ R+33
- West Lake Sammamish, Bellevue, WA D+42
- Woodlands at Fiore, Buffalo Grove, IL D+26
- The Gulch, Nashville, TN D+11
- Centerville Historic District, Centerville, OH R+3
- Charles Page, Tulsa, OK R+12
- West Acres, Fargo, ND D+21
- Campus Commons, Sacramento, CA D+48
- South Elmwood, Providence, RI D+28
- O'Fallon, St. Louis, MO D+87
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.