Buena Vista County, Iowa
Precinct data
Results by precinct
8 precincts · 7,516 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -ELK,NOKOMIS, MAPLEVALLEY, SCOTTELK,NOKOMIS, MAPLEVALLEY, SCOTT | 358 | 1,026 | 16 | 1,400 | 25.6% | 73.3% | R+47.7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -COON,FAIRFIELD,NEWELL,POLANDCOON,FAIRFIELD,NEWELL,POLAND | 225 | 986 | 11 | 1,222 | 18.4% | 80.7% | R+62.3 |
| Precinct -GRANT,HAYES,PROVIDENCE, WASHINGTONGRANT,HAYES,PROVIDENCE, WASHINGTON | 338 | 823 | 14 | 1,175 | 28.8% | 70.0% | R+41.3 |
| Precinct -Storm Lake 3Storm Lake 3 | 411 | 573 | 10 | 994 | 41.3% | 57.6% | R+16.3 |
| Precinct -BARNES, BROOKE, LEE, LINCOLNBARNES, BROOKE, LEE, LINCOLN | 202 | 691 | 15 | 908 | 22.2% | 76.1% | R+53.9 |
| Precinct -Storm Lake 4Storm Lake 4 | 363 | 382 | 11 | 756 | 48.0% | 50.5% | R+2.5 |
| Precinct -Storm Lake 1Storm Lake 1 | 375 | 334 | 9 | 718 | 52.2% | 46.5% | D+5.7 |
| Precinct -Storm Lake 2Storm Lake 2 | 190 | 147 | 6 | 343 | 55.4% | 42.9% | D+12.5 |
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −24.5% |
| 1896 | −36.6% |
| 1900 | −45.9% |
| 1904 | −57.6% |
| 1908 | −36.2% |
| 1912 | +4.6% |
| 1916 | −16.6% |
| 1920 | −59.4% |
| 1924 | −43.0% |
| 1928 | −31.9% |
| 1932 | +20.4% |
| 1936 | +22.2% |
| 1940 | +2.2% |
| 1944 | +3.4% |
| 1948 | +4.5% |
| 1952 | −39.6% |
| 1956 | −22.6% |
| 1960 | −27.2% |
| 1964 | +16.6% |
| 1968 | −28.2% |
| 1972 | −24.0% |
| 1976 | −9.4% |
| 1980 | −18.6% |
| 1984 | −11.5% |
| 1988 | +4.6% |
| 1992 | −5.3% |
| 1996 | −2.7% |
| 2000 | −13.3% |
| 2004 | −16.1% |
| 2008 | −1.8% |
| 2012 | −10.2% |
| 2016 | −24.4% |
| 2020 | −25.7% |
| 2024 | −33.2% |
U.S. Senate
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | R | 30.1%1,518 | 69.9%3,530 | 5,048 |
| 2020 | R | 37.8%3,022 | 59.1%4,724 | 7,987 |
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 19 points more Democratic.
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12,232 | 3,241 | 4,048 | 4,941 | 2 |
| 2010 | 12,625 | 3,330 | 4,189 | 5,103 | 3 |
| 2012 | 12,427 | 3,195 | 4,151 | 5,077 | 4 |
| 2014 | 12,422 | 3,133 | 4,209 | 5,061 | 19 |
| 2016 | 12,474 | 3,232 | 4,372 | 4,824 | 46 |
| 2018 | 12,473 | 3,227 | 4,340 | 4,834 | 72 |
| 2020 | 12,635 | 3,518 | 4,547 | 4,482 | 88 |
| 2022 | 12,232 | 3,249 | 4,651 | 4,241 | 91 |
| 2024 | 12,060 | 3,032 | 4,724 | 4,213 | 91 |
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
−395 net domestic migration · 2025
Net −4,243 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $43,811 in average income, against $75,916 for residents who stayed — 42% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+48.1 on average — 15 points more Republican-leaning than Buena Vista County, IA itself (R+33.2).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Clay County, IA36R+43.1
- Cherokee County, IA31R+45.7
- Sac County, IA29R+51.5
- Pocahontas County, IA27R+53.9
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Cherokee County, IA46
- Sac County, IA39
- Woodbury County, IA33
- Polk County, IA31
- Clay County, IA21
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −181 |
| 2012 | +50 |
| 2013 | −180 |
| 2014 | −269 |
| 2015 | −441 |
| 2016 | −268 |
| 2017 | −427 |
| 2018 | −480 |
| 2019 | −385 |
| 2021 | −188 |
| 2022 | −429 |
| 2023 | −336 |
| 2024 | −314 |
| 2025 | −395 |
Buena Vista County's population of roughly 20,000 includes a sizable Latino community centered in Storm Lake, creating a demographic mix that has made its shifting margins a closely watched indicator of rural realignment.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 22.2 points in 1936 and a Republican high of 59.4 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 7.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 33.2 points.
A population of 20,753, a 52% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $71,719 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Beadle County and Nobles County.
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Buena Vista County, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/19021/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.