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Cedar Rapids-Wtrlo-IWC&Dub

Iowa's second-largest media market, anchored by two distinct metro cultures

Cedar Rapids and Waterloo-Dubuque span a corridor where mid-size manufacturing cities meet agricultural hinterlands, producing a market that has swung within single digits in recent presidential cycles and rewards ground-level retail politics.

Presidential margin · 2024
Data unavailable for this race.
Race data unavailable
Geography
Race data unavailable
No current race for this office.
2024FIPS 637
Population3.5M
Median ageU.S. 38.9y
37.1y▼ 1.8
Bachelor's+U.S. 35%
28.9%▼ 6.1
  • White89.4%
  • Black3.5%
  • Hispanic2.9%
  • Two or more2.6%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other1.0%
Trajectory · 2008–2024
Cedar Rapids-Wtrlo-IWC&DubBaseline
Reagan → Bush IIObama → TrumpR+100D+10D+202020flip · 2024D+25R+10
Cycle2024
Open in Cartographer

Constituent Counties

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Similarity Explorer

Similar media markets

Reads like Des Moines-Ames, La Crosse-Eau Claire, and Madison.
8 visible matches
Constituent Geography

Counties in Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque

2024 presidential results across the counties that make up this geography.
Sort:
CountyPop.MarginDemRepTotalShare
Linn230K
D+9.9
66,35854,237122,9596.2%
Linn218K
D+9.9
66,35854,237122,9596.2%
Linn205K
D+9.9
66,35854,237122,9596.2%
Linn192K
D+9.9
66,35854,237122,9596.2%
Johnson157K
D+37.8
58,84626,08786,6444.4%
Johnson142K
D+37.8
58,84626,08786,6444.4%
Black Hawk133K
D+1.2
31,29930,57262,9063.2%
Black Hawk131K
D+1.2
31,29930,57262,9063.2%
Black Hawk128K
D+1.2
31,29930,57262,9063.2%
Black Hawk127K
D+1.2
31,29930,57262,9063.2%
Johnson126K
D+37.8
58,84626,08786,6444.4%
Johnson111K
D+37.8
58,84626,08786,6444.4%
Dubuque99K
R+8.6
23,70528,22452,7702.7%
Dubuque96K
R+8.6
23,70528,22452,7702.7%
Dubuque92K
R+8.6
23,70528,22452,7702.7%
Dubuque89K
R+8.6
23,70528,22452,7702.7%
Benton27K
R+33.1
4,7399,54914,5090.7%
Benton26K
R+33.1
4,7399,54914,5090.7%
Benton26K
R+33.1
4,7399,54914,5090.7%
Benton25K
R+33.1
4,7399,54914,5090.7%
Bremer25K
R+22.1
5,5718,79914,6070.7%
Bremer25K
R+22.1
5,5718,79914,6070.7%
Bremer24K
R+22.1
5,5718,79914,6070.7%
Bremer23K
R+22.1
5,5718,79914,6070.7%
Washington23K
R+24.4
4,2977,11911,5880.6%
Washington22K
R+24.4
4,2977,11911,5880.6%
Fayette22K
R+30.4
3,3346,3259,8480.5%
Winneshiek21K
R+9.2
5,3216,42711,9790.6%
Washington21K
R+24.4
4,2977,11911,5880.6%
Buchanan21K
R+28.1
3,7666,79010,7500.5%
Buchanan21K
R+28.1
3,7666,79010,7500.5%
Buchanan21K
R+28.1
3,7666,79010,7500.5%
Jones21K
R+26.2
3,9426,82010,9800.6%
Winneshiek21K
R+9.2
5,3216,42711,9790.6%
Winneshiek21K
R+9.2
5,3216,42711,9790.6%
Buchanan21K
R+28.1
3,7666,79010,7500.5%
Washington21K
R+24.4
4,2977,11911,5880.6%
Fayette20K
R+30.4
3,3346,3259,8480.5%
Jones20K
R+26.2
3,9426,82010,9800.6%
Fayette20K
R+30.4
3,3346,3259,8480.5%
Jones20K
R+26.2
3,9426,82010,9800.6%
Jones20K
R+26.2
3,9426,82010,9800.6%
Winneshiek20K
R+9.2
5,3216,42711,9790.6%
Fayette19K
R+30.4
3,3346,3259,8480.5%
Clayton19K
R+34.5
3,0176,2559,4000.5%
Delaware18K
R+39.5
2,9786,98410,1380.5%
Cedar18K
R+21.8
4,0756,39010,6440.5%
Cedar18K
R+21.8
4,0756,39010,6440.5%
Cedar18K
R+21.8
4,0756,39010,6440.5%
Tama18K
R+26.8
3,0705,3798,6160.4%
Cedar18K
R+21.8
4,0756,39010,6440.5%
Clayton18K
R+34.5
3,0176,2559,4000.5%
Clayton18K
R+34.5
3,0176,2559,4000.5%
Tama18K
R+26.8
3,0705,3798,6160.4%
Delaware18K
R+39.5
2,9786,98410,1380.5%
Delaware17K
R+39.5
2,9786,98410,1380.5%
Delaware17K
R+39.5
2,9786,98410,1380.5%
Tama17K
R+26.8
3,0705,3798,6160.4%
Clayton17K
R+34.5
3,0176,2559,4000.5%
Tama17K
R+26.8
3,0705,3798,6160.4%
Iowa17K
R+27.7
3,4006,0689,6390.5%
Iowa16K
R+27.7
3,4006,0689,6390.5%
Iowa16K
R+27.7
3,4006,0689,6390.5%
Iowa16K
R+27.7
3,4006,0689,6390.5%
Butler15K
R+45.2
2,1445,7848,0460.4%
Butler15K
R+45.2
2,1445,7848,0460.4%
Allamakee15K
R+34.3
2,3504,8577,3180.4%
Butler15K
R+45.2
2,1445,7848,0460.4%
Allamakee14K
R+34.3
2,3504,8577,3180.4%
Butler14K
R+45.2
2,1445,7848,0460.4%
Allamakee14K
R+34.3
2,3504,8577,3180.4%
Allamakee14K
R+34.3
2,3504,8577,3180.4%
Chickasaw13K
R+37.1
1,9194,2346,2390.3%
Grundy12K
R+41.7
2,0194,9987,1460.4%
Grundy12K
R+41.7
2,0194,9987,1460.4%
Grundy12K
R+41.7
2,0194,9987,1460.4%
Grundy12K
R+41.7
2,0194,9987,1460.4%
Chickasaw12K
R+37.1
1,9194,2346,2390.3%
Chickasaw12K
R+37.1
1,9194,2346,2390.3%
Chickasaw12K
R+37.1
1,9194,2346,2390.3%
Keokuk11K
R+51.5
1,2193,8695,1500.3%
Keokuk11K
R+51.5
1,2193,8695,1500.3%
Keokuk10K
R+51.5
1,2193,8695,1500.3%
Keokuk10K
R+51.5
1,2193,8695,1500.3%
84 countiesTotal votes: 1,967,504
Historian Query

Ask the Historian

Explore Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque's political evolution with the Historian
Race & Ancestry

Who Lives Here

A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & DubuqueCensus ACS 2024Ancestry detail available
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
Expand rows for ancestry detail
White (Non-Hispanic) 89.4%Black 3.5%Hispanic 2.9%Multiracial 2.0%Asian 1.8%Native American 0.3%
GroupLocalNational
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13)
89.4%57.4%
▶Black / African American(14)
3.5%12.2%
▶Hispanic / Latino(17)
2.9%19.3%
Multiracial / Other
2.0%4.0%
▶Asian(6)
1.8%6.0%
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10)
0.4%0.9%
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2)
0.3%0.9%
▶Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander(2)
0.1%0.2%
Method notes

Census treats race and Hispanic/Latino origin as separate questions. Race categories other than Hispanic reflect total populations (small Hispanic overlap in Black, Asian, AIAN, NHPI). “Multiracial / Other” is derived as a non-overlapping remainder.

Click rows to expand ancestry detail. Ancestry from ACS B04006, B03001, B02020, B02016. Totals may differ from race — individuals can report multiple ancestries.

Black / African American (estimated remainder) is derived as Black population share minus reported Sub-Saharan African and West Indian ancestry. It is shown as an estimated ancestry detail, not a standalone Census ancestry category.

MENA estimated from ancestry reporting — Census does not have a separate MENA race category. Not shown in bar (overlaps with other race groups).

Religious Adherents

Population that are religious adherents:
46.1%(424.4K people)
U.S. Religion Census 2020
Browse all religions

Catholic-Evangelical edge: +16.9pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Catholic-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Democratic-leaning urban and suburban communities.

Ecological pattern — how to read this

Reflects patterns in counties where this religious tradition concentrates — not a claim about individual voters.

Values are derived by joining Religion Census 2020 (U.S. Religion Data Archive) with certified election results at the county level. That means we know what counties with more or fewer of this group did — not how any individual voted.

This is known as ecological inference. It is a valid way to surface geographic correlation but must not be read as a personal-vote claim about anyone in the group.

Tradition% Pop% AdherentsUS PopUS Adherents
Catholic
18.5%40.0%——
Mainline Protestant
15.0%32.5%——
Evangelical Protestant
8.6%18.6%——
Other
2.8%6.1%——
Black Protestant
1.2%2.6%——
LDS (Mormon)
1.0%2.1%——
Non-religiousPopulation
53.9%———
Click the chevron to expand denominations. Tradition and denomination rows label both share of total population and share of all religious adherents. Non-religious is shown as a share of total population only.
Explore Catholic adherence nationally

Who lives in the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque media market? 3,499,518 residents across 84 counties.

Demographic Comparison

Demographics

Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
Export CSVPro
Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque vs National3.5M residents
Population & electorate

Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.

Total population
Local vs state vs U.S.
3.5M
local
3.5MNational 334.9M
Share of U.S. population
Local vs state vs U.S.
1.04%
local
1.04%National 100%
Voting-age population
Local vs state vs U.S.
38.5%
local
38.5%National 75.7%
Economic profile

Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.

Median household income
Local vs state vs U.S.
$55,755
local
$55,755National $83,960
Poverty rate
Local vs state vs U.S.
11.2%
local
11.2%National 12.5%
College degree
Local vs state vs U.S.
28.9%
local
28.9%National 35.6%
Homeownership
Local vs state vs U.S.
72.0%
local
72.0%National 65.2%
Community profile

Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.

Median age
Local vs state vs U.S.
37.1 yrs
local
37.1 yrsNational 39.1 yrs
Age 18–29
Local vs state vs U.S.
14.1%
local
14.1%National 15.7%
Age 65+
Local vs state vs U.S.
12.2%
local
12.2%National 17.0%
Foreign born
Local vs state vs U.S.
3.8%
local
3.8%National 14.1%
Non-English at home
Local vs state vs U.S.
6.2%
local
6.2%National 22.2%
English only
Local vs state vs U.S.
93.8%
local
93.8%National 77.8%
Voter Turnout

Turnout in Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque

Turnout % = votes cast ÷ citizen voting-age population (CVAP). Source: CVAP Special Tab 2020-2024.
2024 Turnout
70.6%
vs Previous
-1.3pp
Eligible Non-Voters
204K · 29.4%
Citizen VAP
696,358
History
1988–2024
Ticket-Splitting

Do voters in Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque split their tickets?

Divergence between offices in the same election reveals persuadable voters.
ConsistencyHeavy splitting (10/100)
2022 Office Comparisons
OfficesMargin AMargin BSplit
Senate vs GovernorR+0.8R+7.06.1pp
Average divergence across office pairs: 15.7pp
Containing Geography

Located In

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque sits inside these higher-level geographies.
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