Wapello leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About more than 99% of adults in Wapello typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wapello, ~31% vote Democratic, ~69% Republican, and ~0% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wapello compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Wapello leans more Republican than 22 of 48 neighbors.
Wapello runs about 25 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Wapello. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+50) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Wapello 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 Wapello, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Wapello votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 24%, modestly above the Iowa average of 16%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Wapello sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 80% of cities).
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Wapello, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Wapello looks the way it does
Turnout in Wapello 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 Cities
- Morning Sun, IA R+45
- Grandview, IA R+46
- Northfield, IA R+50
- New Boston, IL R+46
- Oakville, IA R+48
- Fredonia, IA R+38
- Columbus City, IA R+25
- Columbus Junction, IA R+19
- Kossuth, IA R+28
- Letts, IA R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Tracy City, TN R+67
- Summerford, OH R+25
- Harborcreek, PA R+19
- Jellico, TN R+59
- Reese, MI R+41
- North Conway, NH D+8
- New Madrid, MO R+32
- Millerstown, PA R+56
- Gloucester Courthouse, VA R+30
- Alvord, TX R+75
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.