Wapello County leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Wapello County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wapello County, ~26% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wapello County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Wapello County leans more Republican than 2 of 15 neighbors.
Wapello County runs about 12 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Wapello County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+45) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+18), a spread of about 27 points.
Why Wapello County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Wapello County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Wapello County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 52%, far above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Local retail density and voter turnout
Places with dense local retail within a mile tend to turn out at a higher rate; Wapello County, 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 Wapello County looks the way it does
Turnout in Wapello County 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 Counties
- Davis County, IA R+59
- Monroe County, IA R+43
- Mahaska County, IA R+38
- Jefferson County, IA R+4
- Keokuk County, IA R+47
- Appanoose County, IA R+43
- Van Buren County, IA R+55
- Schuyler County, MO R+67
- Marion County, IA R+34
- Scotland County, MO R+64
Counties with Similar Populations
- Perry County, OH R+56
- Warren County, MO R+50
- Lincoln County, TN R+64
- Madison County, NE R+50
- Uintah County, UT R+67
- Lincoln County, ME Even
- Fannin County, TX R+58
- Becker County, MN R+33
- Silver Bow County, MT Even
- Washington County, TX R+37
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.