Waverly leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 95% of adults in Waverly typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Waverly, ~41% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~5% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Waverly compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Waverly leans more Republican than 3 of 47 neighbors.
Politically, Waverly sits close to the rest of Iowa.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Waverly. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+24) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+6), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Waverly 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 Waverly, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Waverly votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 39%, well above the Iowa average of 16%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Waverly, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Waverly looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Waverly 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 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Waverly have completed high school, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Janesville, IA R+27
- Bremer, IA R+42
- Shell Rock, IA R+39
- Denver, IA R+30
- Horton, IA R+45
- Plainfield, IA R+47
- Clarksville, IA R+46
- Knittel, IA R+48
- North Cedar, IA R+19
- Tripoli, IA R+41
Cities with Similar Populations
- Wimberley, TX R+30
- Ellettsville, IN R+14
- Mena, AR R+60
- Mount Olive, NC R+17
- Sausalito, CA D+59
- Scappoose, OR R+10
- Tuckahoe, NY D+13
- Catoosa, OK R+40
- Wyomissing, PA D+10
- Redland, MD D+47
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.