Watson leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Watson typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Watson, ~24% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Watson compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Watson leans more Republican than 28 of 52 neighbors.
Watson runs about 24 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Watson. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+40) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+26), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Watson 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 Watson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Watson, about 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points below the Iowa average of 24%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Watson, IA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Watson looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Watson 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Monona, IA R+36
- Volney, IA R+40
- Waukon Junction, IA R+33
- Marquette, IA R+27
- McGregor, IA R+32
- Farmersburg, IA R+40
- Froelich, IA R+38
- Waterville, IA R+39
- Harpers Ferry, IA R+34
- Prairie du Chien, WI R+21
Cities with Similar Populations
- Webb, ID R+16
- Macon, NE R+71
- Roque Bluffs, ME R+31
- Rocky Mountain, OK R+62
- Cayuga, ND R+52
- Lorado, WV R+73
- Putnam, OK R+80
- Kirkmansville, KY R+68
- Kennedy, PA R+56
- Yell, TN R+69
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.