- Lead
- 5,100
- Total
- 49,526
- vs nation
- D+11.8
- Turnout
- 63.1%
Story County, IA
▦ precinct · ▥ counties · ▢ no spatial detail
President margin by year
Place winner margin
President results by year
2024 turnout 63.1% of 79,009 citizens 18+
- Lead
- 8,835
- Total
- 51,038
- vs nation
- D+12.9
- Turnout
- 68.8%
- Lead
- 6,251
- Total
- 50,974
- vs nation
- D+10.2
- Turnout
- 70.4%
- Lead
- 6,524
- Total
- 47,150
- vs nation
- D+10.0
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 7,553
- Total
- 46,575
- vs nation
- D+8.9
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 2,477
- Total
- 44,652
- vs nation
- D+8.0
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 1,250
- Total
- 35,364
- vs nation
- D+3.0
- Turnout
- —
- Lead
- 4,766
- Total
- 32,695
- vs nation
- D+6.1
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+10.3MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 100,4662024 5-year
- Population density
- 175 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 573 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $69,6852024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 81.0%2024 5-year
- Black
- 2.7%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 5.2%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+20.1 in 1964MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+63.6 in 1904MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Johnson County, IA · twin score 94.2
Turnout and midterm durability
Participation measured against the same-year citizen voting-age population. Audited cycles count total general-election participants — ballots or participating voters, not presidential candidate votes. Cycles before 2016 predate that series and are derived from the certified presidential returns instead; they are marked everywhere they appear and are excluded from the figures below.
- 2024 turnout
- 63.1%49,818 participants ÷ 79,009 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +20.6 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off vs state
- -0.4 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026
- 42.4%–46.7%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
Select a presidential cycle to show it on the map and results ledger above.
| Cycle | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Series | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49,818 | 79,009 ± 690 | 63.1% | Audited | A/A | |
| 2022Mid | 37,146 | 77,108 ± 771 | 48.2% | Audited | A/A |
| 51,253 | 74,508 ± 669 | 68.8% | Audited | A/A | |
| 2018Mid | 42,966 | 73,671 ± 528 | 58.3% | Audited | A/A |
| 50,974 | 72,439 ± 539 | 70.4% | Audited | A/A | |
| 47,150 | 68,949 | 68.4% | Derived | — | |
| 46,575 | 65,691 | 70.9% | Derived | — | |
| 44,652 | 62,433 extrapolated | 71.5% | Derived | — |
Sources and methods
Audited cycles (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) count total general-election participants against the same-year CVAP special tabulation, each cell carrying its own numerator and denominator quality grade. Derived cycles (2004, 2008, 2012) come from the certified presidential returns on this page over the ACS 5-year CVAP series, so they measure presidential votes cast rather than ballots — a floor on participation. Where a derived cycle predates the ACS its denominator is extrapolated rather than read, and says so on its own line below. They are shown for the longer arc and are excluded from the drop-off, excess-drop-off, and 2026 scenario figures above.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 306/183.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2012 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2008 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2004 (derived): Certified presidential returns · extrapolated CVAP denominator; presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count; 2004 predates the ACS, so the denominator is a linear back-extrapolation from the 2008 and 2012 CVAP values, not a read figure.
Interactive election map
One map. Every available contest.
The map and local result cover Story County only. The complete contest result is shown below for comparison.
Story County result
0 precinct units · 0 candidate votes
Governor contest result
Loading the complete contest result…
Explore precinct resultsSearch, sort, compare years, or export CSV · 45 precincts
Precinct data
Results by precinct
45 precincts · 49,200 votes
Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.
| Precinct -Ames 08Ames 08 | 1,209 | 591 | 36 | 1,836 | 65.8% | 32.2% | D+33.7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precinct -Ames 09Ames 09 | 1,175 | 587 | 29 | 1,791 | 65.6% | 32.8% | D+32.8 |
| Precinct -Ames 07Ames 07 | 1,020 | 718 | 19 | 1,757 | 58.1% | 40.9% | D+17.2 |
| Precinct -Ames 04Ames 04 | 982 | 725 | 30 | 1,737 | 56.5% | 41.7% | D+14.8 |
| Precinct -Ames 11Ames 11 | 1,121 | 578 | 17 | 1,716 | 65.3% | 33.7% | D+31.6 |
| Precinct -Franklin TwpFranklin Twp | 813 | 888 | 15 | 1,716 | 47.4% | 51.7% | R+4.4 |
| Precinct -Huxley 2/Palestine TwpHuxley 2/Palestine Twp | 640 | 985 | 20 | 1,645 | 38.9% | 59.9% | R+21.0 |
| Precinct -Ames 02Ames 02 | 1,186 | 401 | 30 | 1,617 | 73.3% | 24.8% | D+48.5 |
| Precinct -Ames 10Ames 10 | 1,104 | 454 | 30 | 1,588 | 69.5% | 28.6% | D+40.9 |
| Precinct -Huxley 1/Union Twp 2Huxley 1/Union Twp 2 | 630 | 792 | 23 | 1,445 | 43.6% | 54.8% | R+11.2 |
| Precinct -Nevada 4/Nevada TwpNevada 4/Nevada Twp | 638 | 773 | 18 | 1,429 | 44.6% | 54.1% | R+9.4 |
| Precinct -Ames 12Ames 12 | 842 | 566 | 13 | 1,421 | 59.3% | 39.8% | D+19.4 |
| Precinct -Ames 05Ames 05 | 866 | 510 | 17 | 1,393 | 62.2% | 36.6% | D+25.6 |
| Precinct -Ames 16Ames 16 | 843 | 462 | 22 | 1,327 | 63.5% | 34.8% | D+28.7 |
| Precinct -Ames 03Ames 03 | 819 | 480 | 27 | 1,326 | 61.8% | 36.2% | D+25.6 |
| Precinct -Story City 2/Lafayette Twp/Howard Twp 2Story City 2/Lafayette Twp/Howard Twp 2 | 520 | 731 | 12 | 1,263 | 41.2% | 57.9% | R+16.7 |
| Precinct -Ames 23Ames 23 | 818 | 394 | 25 | 1,237 | 66.1% | 31.9% | D+34.3 |
| Precinct -Ames 24Ames 24 | 753 | 408 | 16 | 1,177 | 64.0% | 34.7% | D+29.3 |
| Precinct -Ames 14Ames 14 | 710 | 410 | 16 | 1,136 | 62.5% | 36.1% | D+26.4 |
| Precinct -Roland/Howard TwpRoland/Howard Twp | 439 | 670 | 16 | 1,125 | 39.0% | 59.6% | R+20.5 |
| Precinct -Ames 22Ames 22 | 779 | 311 | 20 | 1,110 | 70.2% | 28.0% | D+42.2 |
| Precinct -Slater/SheldahlSlater/Sheldahl | 446 | 639 | 19 | 1,104 | 40.4% | 57.9% | R+17.5 |
| Precinct -Ames 15Ames 15 | 654 | 414 | 19 | 1,087 | 60.2% | 38.1% | D+22.1 |
| Precinct -Nevada 1/Richland TwpNevada 1/Richland Twp | 482 | 575 | 21 | 1,078 | 44.7% | 53.3% | R+8.6 |
| Precinct -Story City 1Story City 1 | 478 | 564 | 31 | 1,073 | 44.5% | 52.6% | R+8.0 |
| Precinct -Ames 18Ames 18 | 633 | 393 | 16 | 1,042 | 60.7% | 37.7% | D+23.0 |
| Precinct -Ames 17Ames 17 | 657 | 294 | 25 | 976 | 67.3% | 30.1% | D+37.2 |
| Precinct -Ames 21Ames 21 | 671 | 263 | 14 | 948 | 70.8% | 27.7% | D+43.0 |
| Precinct -Ames 06Ames 06 | 514 | 416 | 9 | 939 | 54.7% | 44.3% | D+10.4 |
| Precinct -Ames 01Ames 01 | 486 | 440 | 11 | 937 | 51.9% | 47.0% | D+4.9 |
| Precinct -Nevada 3Nevada 3 | 469 | 453 | 8 | 930 | 50.4% | 48.7% | D+1.7 |
| Precinct -Ames 13Ames 13 | 463 | 442 | 15 | 920 | 50.3% | 48.0% | D+2.3 |
| Precinct -Maxwell/Indian Creek TwpMaxwell/Indian Creek Twp | 297 | 600 | 17 | 914 | 32.5% | 65.6% | R+33.2 |
| Precinct -Nevada 2/Grant Twp 2Nevada 2/Grant Twp 2 | 434 | 374 | 13 | 821 | 52.9% | 45.6% | D+7.3 |
| Precinct -Cambridge/Union TwpCambridge/Union Twp | 286 | 495 | 12 | 793 | 36.1% | 62.4% | R+26.4 |
| Precinct -GilbertGilbert | 326 | 436 | 16 | 778 | 41.9% | 56.0% | R+14.1 |
| Precinct -Colo/New Albany TwpColo/New Albany Twp | 249 | 440 | 18 | 707 | 35.2% | 62.2% | R+27.0 |
| Precinct -Ames 20Ames 20 | 308 | 284 | 17 | 609 | 50.6% | 46.6% | D+3.9 |
| Precinct -Ames 19Ames 19 | 304 | 280 | 5 | 589 | 51.6% | 47.5% | D+4.1 |
| Precinct -Zearing/Lincoln Twp/Sherman TwpZearing/Lincoln Twp/Sherman Twp | 159 | 376 | 7 | 542 | 29.3% | 69.4% | R+40.0 |
| Precinct -Collins/Collins TwpCollins/Collins Twp | 96 | 329 | 4 | 429 | 22.4% | 76.7% | R+54.3 |
| Precinct -Milford TwpMilford Twp | 137 | 207 | 5 | 349 | 39.3% | 59.3% | R+20.1 |
| Precinct -McCallsburg/Warren TwpMcCallsburg/Warren Twp | 95 | 237 | 7 | 339 | 28.0% | 69.9% | R+41.9 |
| Precinct -Washington TwpWashington Twp | 142 | 186 | 4 | 332 | 42.8% | 56.0% | R+13.3 |
| Precinct -KelleyKelley | 72 | 94 | 6 | 172 | 41.9% | 54.7% | R+12.8 |
presidential history
Party record book
Story County, IA · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson1964
59.8%
12,329 votes · D+20.1
Runner-up · Michael Dukakis, 1988 · 57.5%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
80.8%
8,713 votes · R+63.1
Runner-up · Theodore Roosevelt, 1904 · 78.7%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
29,175votes
57.2% of the vote · D+17.3
Runner-up · Kamala Harris, 2024 · 26,765 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
21,665votes
43.7% of the vote · D+10.3
Runner-up · George W. Bush, 2004 · 20,819 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Michael Dukakis1988
+23.6pts D vs U.S.
Place D+15.9 · U.S. R+7.7
Runner-up · George McGovern, 1972 · +14.6 pts
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
+44.0pts R vs U.S.
Place R+63.6 · U.S. R+19.7
Runner-up · William McKinley, 1900 · +40.4 pts
Current officeholders
Seats representing Story County, IA. A county elects none of these itself — they are the members for the 1 congressional, 3 state senate and 3 state house districts it falls inside, so parts of the county are represented by different members.
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Registration leans Democratic; the presidential vote runs 4.8 points more Democratic than the rolls.
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 72,066 | 23,452 | 18,863 | 29,602 | 149 |
| 2010 | 64,163 | 20,518 | 17,730 | 25,734 | 181 |
| 2012 | 67,971 | 21,437 | 18,827 | 27,442 | 265 |
| 2014 | 64,973 | 19,351 | 18,226 | 26,972 | 424 |
| 2016 | 69,043 | 22,288 | 20,086 | 25,913 | 756 |
| 2018 | 69,545 | 22,722 | 19,200 | 26,649 | 974 |
| 2020 | 72,164 | 26,670 | 19,555 | 24,948 | 991 |
| 2022 | 70,373 | 25,203 | 18,954 | 25,236 | 980 |
| 2024 | 69,867 | 23,231 | 19,369 | 26,334 | 933 |
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
−792 net domestic migration · 2025
Net −3,542 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $49,962 in average income, against $97,747 for residents who stayed — 49% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+2.9 on average — 13 points more Republican-leaning than Story County, IA itself (D+10.3).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Polk County, IA607D+10.8
- Boone County, IA194R+21.5
- Dallas County, IA93R+4.7
- Marshall County, IA92R+15.5
- Hamilton County, IA88R+33.2
- Linn County, IA72D+9.9
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Polk County, IA863
- Boone County, IA170
- Dallas County, IA116
- Linn County, IA72
- Hamilton County, IA64
- Marshall County, IA61
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 | +73 |
| 2012 | −176 |
| 2013 | +488 |
| 2014 | +556 |
| 2015 | −248 |
| 2016 | −828 |
| 2017 | −812 |
| 2018 | −1,208 |
| 2019 | −369 |
| 2021 | +477 |
| 2022 | −475 |
| 2023 | +257 |
| 2024 | −485 |
| 2025 | −792 |
Story County's Democratic lean in an otherwise Republican-trending state traces directly to Ames and Iowa State University, where students and faculty form a durable left-of-center voting bloc that has held margins in double digits across recent cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 20.1 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 63.6 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 7.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 10.3 points.
A population of 100,466, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $69,685 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Johnson County and Clay 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 →
Story County, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/19169/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.