Southwestern Hills leans Democratic by roughly 18 points: about 59% of voters vote Democratic and 41% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Southwestern Hills typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Southwestern Hills, ~48% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Southwestern Hills compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Southwestern Hills leans more Democratic than 5 of 12 neighbors.
Southwestern Hills runs about 32 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Southwestern Hills is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Southwestern Hills. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+28) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 28 points.
Why Southwestern Hills 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 Southwestern Hills, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Southwestern Hills votes against the grain of Iowa. Iowa leans Republican overall, while Southwestern Hills runs about 32 points more Democratic.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Southwestern Hills, Des Moines, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Southwestern Hills looks the way it does
Turnout in Southwestern Hills 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
- Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA D+12
- Fort des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+17
- Indianola Hills, Des Moines, IA D+15
- Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines, IA D+53
- South Park, Des Moines, IA D+14
- Drake, Des Moines, IA D+50
- Pioneer Park, Des Moines, IA D+22
- River Bend, Des Moines, IA D+45
- Capitol Park, Des Moines, IA D+33
- Beaverdale, Des Moines, IA D+39
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Oakwood, Waco, TX Even
- Tarrytown, Austin, TX D+27
- Waverley Square, Belmont, MA D+62
- Sans Souci, Jacksonville, FL R+14
- Southside, Binghamton, NY D+26
- Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids, MI D+61
- Saint Francis Wood, San Francisco, CA D+55
- Fairmont Park, Des Moines, IA D+7
- North Kensington, Kensington, MD D+58
- View Ridge, Seattle, WA D+70
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.