Storm Lake leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Storm Lake typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Storm Lake, ~34% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Storm Lake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Storm Lake leans more Republican than 1 of 32 neighbors.
Storm Lake runs about 6 points more Democratic than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Storm Lake. The north side runs the most Democratic (D+4) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+39), a spread of about 43 points.
Why Storm Lake leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Storm Lake, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Storm Lake votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 23%, modestly above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Storm Lake, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Storm Lake looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Storm Lake is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lakeside, IA R+5
- Juniata, IA R+37
- Alta, IA R+33
- Truesdale, IA R+47
- Sulphur Springs, IA R+50
- Newell, IA R+47
- Nemaha, IA R+51
- Schaller, IA R+49
- Rembrandt, IA R+52
- Aurelia, IA R+49
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kill Devil Hills, NC R+21
- Foxboro, MA D+13
- Somersworth, NH D+2
- Middleville, MI R+33
- Marshall, MI R+17
- North Smithfield, RI R+3
- Havre, MT R+38
- West Perrine, FL D+23
- Yadkinville, NC R+61
- Hazlehurst, GA R+53
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.