Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Iowa would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Hawkeye State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Iowa with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 most conservative places in Iowa for 2024
If you’re wondering, Coralville is the most liberal city in Iowa of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in Iowa.
Additional reading about Iowa and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In Iowa For 2024
/10
Percent Republican: 82.8%
More on Sheldon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 82.8%
More on Orange City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 82.8%
More on Sioux Center: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 74.1%
More on Sioux City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 74.1%
More on Le Mars: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 73.0%
More on Oskaloosa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 70.8%
More on Clarinda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 69.4%
More on Centerville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 69.2%
More on Algona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in Iowa for 2024
To find the most conservative places in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Iowa over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 84 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 84 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Sheldon, is “The Most Conservative City in Iowa For 2024”. The most liberal place in Iowa was Coralville.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in Iowa.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Iowa
Well, there you have it, the places in Iowa that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Sheldon ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Iowa are Sheldon, Orange City, Sioux Center, Sioux City, Le Mars, Oskaloosa, Clarinda, Centerville, Cherokee, and Algona.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Iowa:
- Coralville
- North Liberty
- Iowa City
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa
Most Conservative Places In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheldon, IA | 5,417 | 82.8% |
| 2 | Orange City, IA | 6,278 | 82.8% |
| 3 | Sioux Center, IA | 8,227 | 82.8% |
| 4 | Sioux City, IA | 85,469 | 74.1% |
| 5 | Le Mars, IA | 10,549 | 74.1% |
| 6 | Oskaloosa, IA | 11,492 | 73.0% |
| 7 | Clarinda, IA | 5,371 | 70.8% |
| 8 | Centerville, IA | 5,393 | 69.4% |
| 9 | Cherokee, IA | 5,154 | 69.2% |
| 10 | Algona, IA | 5,443 | 69.2% |
| 11 | Red Oak, IA | 5,563 | 68.8% |
| 12 | Spencer, IA | 11,351 | 68.7% |
| 13 | Carroll, IA | 10,270 | 68.5% |
| 14 | Atlantic, IA | 6,770 | 68.4% |
| 15 | Denison, IA | 8,316 | 68.0% |
| 16 | Glenwood, IA | 5,128 | 67.9% |
| 17 | Osceola, IA | 5,455 | 67.5% |
| 18 | Estherville, IA | 5,881 | 67.3% |
| 19 | Manchester, IA | 5,112 | 66.9% |
| 20 | West Des Moines, IA | 68,744 | 66.4% |
| 21 | Winterset, IA | 5,366 | 66.4% |
| 22 | Spirit Lake, IA | 5,409 | 66.3% |
| 23 | Pella, IA | 10,556 | 66.2% |
| 24 | Knoxville, IA | 7,523 | 66.2% |
| 25 | Mount Pleasant, IA | 9,214 | 65.4% |
| 26 | Iowa Falls, IA | 5,095 | 65.2% |
| 27 | Creston, IA | 7,519 | 65.1% |
| 28 | Webster City, IA | 7,787 | 62.7% |
| 29 | Maquoketa, IA | 6,123 | 62.5% |
| 30 | Storm Lake, IA | 11,194 | 62.1% |
| 31 | Fort Dodge, IA | 24,850 | 61.6% |
| 32 | Ottumwa, IA | 25,359 | 61.0% |
| 33 | Oelwein, IA | 5,934 | 60.6% |
| 34 | Newton, IA | 15,692 | 60.1% |
| 35 | Anamosa, IA | 5,493 | 60.0% |
| 36 | Independence, IA | 6,106 | 59.7% |
| 37 | Washington, IA | 7,329 | 59.4% |
| 38 | Charles City, IA | 7,364 | 59.1% |
| 39 | Keokuk, IA | 9,868 | 58.6% |
| 40 | Fort Madison, IA | 10,293 | 58.6% |
| 41 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62,670 | 57.6% |
| 42 | Norwalk, IA | 13,057 | 57.6% |
| 43 | Des Moines, IA | 213,164 | 57.6% |
| 44 | Indianola, IA | 15,845 | 57.6% |
| 45 | Waverly, IA | 10,399 | 57.2% |
| 46 | Sergeant Bluff, IA | 5,007 | 57.2% |
| 47 | Boone, IA | 12,482 | 56.9% |
| 48 | Grinnell, IA | 9,511 | 55.9% |
| 49 | Clinton, IA | 24,524 | 54.3% |
| 50 | Burlington, IA | 23,976 | 53.3% |
| 51 | Marshalltown, IA | 27,511 | 53.0% |
| 52 | Muscatine, IA | 23,671 | 52.6% |
| 53 | Clear Lake, IA | 7,642 | 52.5% |
| 54 | Mason City, IA | 27,271 | 52.5% |
| 55 | Decorah, IA | 7,611 | 51.9% |
| 56 | Dubuque, IA | 59,315 | 50.7% |
| 57 | Asbury, IA | 5,890 | 50.7% |
| 58 | Clive, IA | 18,576 | 50.3% |
| 59 | Waukee, IA | 25,045 | 50.3% |
| 60 | Grimes, IA | 15,402 | 50.3% |
| 61 | Adel, IA | 6,090 | 50.3% |
| 62 | Perry, IA | 7,875 | 50.3% |
| 63 | Urbandale, IA | 45,591 | 50.3% |
| 64 | Fairfield, IA | 9,474 | 50.0% |
| 65 | Bettendorf, IA | 38,997 | 47.5% |
| 66 | Eldridge, IA | 6,693 | 47.5% |
| 67 | Davenport, IA | 101,448 | 47.5% |
| 68 | Waterloo, IA | 67,256 | 44.8% |
| 69 | Cedar Falls, IA | 40,686 | 44.8% |
| 70 | Marion, IA | 41,401 | 42.2% |
| 71 | Hiawatha, IA | 7,179 | 42.2% |
| 72 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 136,929 | 42.2% |
| 73 | Bondurant, IA | 7,617 | 41.6% |
| 74 | Pleasant Hill, IA | 10,456 | 41.6% |
| 75 | Altoona, IA | 20,017 | 41.6% |
| 76 | Windsor Heights, IA | 5,200 | 41.6% |
| 77 | Ankeny, IA | 68,392 | 41.6% |
| 78 | Johnston, IA | 23,856 | 41.6% |
| 79 | Polk City, IA | 5,604 | 41.6% |
| 80 | Ames, IA | 66,265 | 40.2% |
| 81 | Nevada, IA | 6,933 | 40.2% |
| 82 | Iowa City, IA | 74,878 | 27.7% |
| 83 | North Liberty, IA | 20,393 | 27.7% |
| 84 | Coralville, IA | 22,494 | 27.7% |