Wadena leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 93% of adults in Wadena typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wadena, ~29% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~7% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wadena compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Wadena leans more Republican than 17 of 50 neighbors.
Wadena runs about 25 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Wadena leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Wadena. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Wadena, IA does.
Why turnout in Wadena looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Wadena 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 64%, above 62% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Volga, IA R+45
- Arlington, IA R+39
- Fayette, IA R+29
- Elgin, IA R+35
- Osborne, IA R+46
- Gunder, IA R+41
- Maryville, IA R+40
- Clermont, IA R+36
- West Union, IA R+26
Cities with Similar Populations
- Springdale, TN R+70
- Leeper, MO R+66
- Lee, VA R+19
- Ramsay, MT R+32
- Silverville, PA R+36
- Burlington, TX R+70
- Mining City, KY R+66
- Palisade, NE R+80
- Bonesteel, SD R+65
- Newington, NH D+21
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.