O'Brien County, Iowa
Precinct data
Results by precinct
9 precincts · 7,501 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -Hartley Lincoln OmegaHartley Lincoln Omega | 252 | 897 | 9 | 1,158 | 21.8% | 77.5% | R+55.7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -Sheldon 1Sheldon 1 | 182 | 947 | 7 | 1,136 | 16.0% | 83.4% | R+67.3 |
| Precinct -Union Baker CaledoniaUnion Baker Caledonia | 176 | 757 | 9 | 942 | 18.7% | 80.4% | R+61.7 |
| Precinct -Summit Center Dale HighlandSummit Center Dale Highland | 209 | 702 | 13 | 924 | 22.6% | 76.0% | R+53.4 |
| Precinct -FranklinFranklin | 108 | 731 | 6 | 845 | 12.8% | 86.5% | R+73.7 |
| Precinct -Sheldon 2Sheldon 2 | 178 | 553 | 8 | 739 | 24.1% | 74.8% | R+50.7 |
| Precinct -Waterman Grant LibertyWaterman Grant Liberty | 145 | 526 | 6 | 677 | 21.4% | 77.7% | R+56.3 |
| Precinct -Sheldon 3Sheldon 3 | 124 | 538 | 14 | 676 | 18.3% | 79.6% | R+61.2 |
| Precinct -Carroll FloydCarroll Floyd | 54 | 347 | 3 | 404 | 13.4% | 85.9% | R+72.5 |
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −9.3% |
| 1896 | −21.3% |
| 1900 | −23.7% |
| 1904 | −42.2% |
| 1908 | −17.7% |
| 1912 | +22.9% |
| 1916 | −6.1% |
| 1920 | −54.6% |
| 1924 | −47.9% |
| 1928 | −33.5% |
| 1932 | +16.4% |
| 1936 | +20.8% |
| 1940 | −7.0% |
| 1944 | −12.4% |
| 1948 | −3.8% |
| 1952 | −52.8% |
| 1956 | −34.7% |
| 1960 | −37.4% |
| 1964 | −0.5% |
| 1968 | −42.7% |
| 1972 | −39.2% |
| 1976 | −25.5% |
| 1980 | −35.1% |
| 1984 | −33.4% |
| 1988 | −20.8% |
| 1992 | −23.1% |
| 1996 | −24.4% |
| 2000 | −35.5% |
| 2004 | −38.8% |
| 2008 | −34.9% |
| 2012 | −44.9% |
| 2016 | −59.5% |
| 2020 | −56.8% |
| 2024 | −60.7% |
U.S. Senate
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | R | 18.2%972 | 81.8%4,361 | 5,333 |
| 2020 | R | 22.0%1,640 | 76.1%5,675 | 7,458 |
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 10 points more Democratic.
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10,608 | 1,740 | 5,240 | 3,628 | 0 |
| 2010 | 10,540 | 1,609 | 5,604 | 3,327 | 0 |
| 2012 | 10,425 | 1,555 | 5,581 | 3,285 | 4 |
| 2014 | 10,195 | 1,468 | 5,598 | 3,117 | 12 |
| 2016 | 10,059 | 1,320 | 6,004 | 2,703 | 32 |
| 2018 | 9,796 | 1,239 | 5,900 | 2,613 | 44 |
| 2020 | 9,927 | 1,404 | 6,118 | 2,340 | 65 |
| 2022 | 9,770 | 1,327 | 6,086 | 2,286 | 71 |
| 2024 | 9,732 | 1,212 | 6,143 | 2,294 | 83 |
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
+9 net domestic migration · 2025
Net −544 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $54,585 in average income, against $88,192 for residents who stayed — 38% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+63.7 on average — 3.0 points more Republican-leaning than O'Brien County, IA itself (R+60.7).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Sioux County, IA61R+70.7
- Osceola County, IA32R+64.0
- Clay County, IA21R+43.1
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Sioux County, IA45
- Clay County, IA26
- Dickinson County, IA26
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 | −144 |
| 2012 | −28 |
| 2013 | −109 |
| 2014 | +4 |
| 2015 | −97 |
| 2016 | +17 |
| 2017 | −110 |
| 2018 | +36 |
| 2019 | −33 |
| 2021 | −58 |
| 2022 | −10 |
| 2023 | −117 |
| 2024 | +96 |
| 2025 | +9 |
O'Brien County's R+60.7 margin in 2024 places it among the most one-sided presidential counties in Iowa, reflecting the broader rural realignment that has reshaped the state's electoral map over the past decade.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 22.9 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 60.7 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 3.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 60.7 points.
A population of 14,126, a 87% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $68,356 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lyon County and Pierce 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 →
O'Brien County, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/19141/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.