In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Iowa, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Iowa and want to know where the majority of Iowans lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Hawkeye State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Iowa with a population greater than 5,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Liberal Places In Iowa For 2024:
If you’re wondering, Orange City is the most conservative city in Iowa of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our 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 liberal cities in Iowa.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about Iowa and the most liberal places in the country:
The 10 Most Liberal Places In Iowa For 2024
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How we determined the most liberal cities in Iowa for 2024
To find the most liberal places in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
Straight forward.
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 lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic 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 Democrats, 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.
The winner, Iowa City, is “The Most liberal City in Iowa For 2024”. The most conservative place in Iowa was Orange City.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most liberal places to live in Iowa.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Iowa
Well, there you have it, the places in Iowa that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Iowa City ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Iowa are Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Ames, Nevada, Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, and Johnston.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Iowa:
- Orange City
- Sioux Center
- Sheldon
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 Liberal Places In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa City, IA | 74,878 | 70.6% |
| 2 | Coralville, IA | 22,494 | 70.6% |
| 3 | North Liberty, IA | 20,393 | 70.6% |
| 4 | Ames, IA | 66,265 | 57.2% |
| 5 | Nevada, IA | 6,933 | 57.2% |
| 6 | Des Moines, IA | 213,164 | 56.5% |
| 7 | West Des Moines, IA | 68,744 | 56.5% |
| 8 | Ankeny, IA | 68,392 | 56.5% |
| 9 | Urbandale, IA | 45,591 | 56.5% |
| 10 | Johnston, IA | 23,856 | 56.5% |
| 11 | Altoona, IA | 20,017 | 56.5% |
| 12 | Clive, IA | 18,576 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Grimes, IA | 15,402 | 56.5% |
| 14 | Norwalk, IA | 13,057 | 56.5% |
| 15 | Pleasant Hill, IA | 10,456 | 56.5% |
| 16 | Bondurant, IA | 7,617 | 56.5% |
| 17 | Polk City, IA | 5,604 | 56.5% |
| 18 | Windsor Heights, IA | 5,200 | 56.5% |
| 19 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 136,929 | 55.6% |
| 20 | Marion, IA | 41,401 | 55.6% |
| 21 | Hiawatha, IA | 7,179 | 55.6% |
| 22 | Waterloo, IA | 67,256 | 53.5% |
| 23 | Cedar Falls, IA | 40,686 | 53.5% |
| 24 | Davenport, IA | 101,448 | 50.7% |
| 25 | Bettendorf, IA | 38,997 | 50.7% |
| 26 | Eldridge, IA | 6,693 | 50.7% |
| 27 | Fairfield, IA | 9,474 | 48.2% |
| 28 | Waukee, IA | 25,045 | 48.0% |
| 29 | Perry, IA | 7,875 | 48.0% |
| 30 | Adel, IA | 6,090 | 48.0% |
| 31 | Dubuque, IA | 59,315 | 47.6% |
| 32 | Asbury, IA | 5,890 | 47.6% |
| 33 | Decorah, IA | 7,611 | 46.6% |
| 34 | Mason City, IA | 27,271 | 46.0% |
| 35 | Clear Lake, IA | 7,642 | 46.0% |
| 36 | Muscatine, IA | 23,671 | 45.3% |
| 37 | Marshalltown, IA | 27,511 | 45.1% |
| 38 | Burlington, IA | 23,976 | 44.6% |
| 39 | Clinton, IA | 24,524 | 43.8% |
| 40 | Maquoketa, IA | 6,123 | 43.8% |
| 41 | Grinnell, IA | 9,511 | 42.5% |
| 42 | Sioux City, IA | 85,469 | 41.2% |
| 43 | Sergeant Bluff, IA | 5,007 | 41.2% |
| 44 | Boone, IA | 12,482 | 41.1% |
| 45 | Waverly, IA | 10,399 | 41.0% |
| 46 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62,670 | 40.6% |
| 47 | Indianola, IA | 15,845 | 40.5% |
| 48 | Charles City, IA | 7,364 | 39.5% |
| 49 | Fort Madison, IA | 10,293 | 39.1% |
| 50 | Keokuk, IA | 9,868 | 39.1% |
