College town anchoring Story County's swing-county volatility
Home to Iowa State University, Ames pulls its metro's median age down and its college-educated share up, producing a voting coalition that has swung between parties by double digits in recent presidential cycles.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story | 100K | D+10.3 | 26,765 | 21,665 | 49,526 | 19.1% |
| Story | 95K | D+10.3 | 26,765 | 21,665 | 49,526 | 19.1% |
| Story | 85K | D+10.3 | 26,765 | 21,665 | 49,526 | 19.1% |
| Story | 80K | D+10.3 | 26,765 | 21,665 | 49,526 | 19.1% |
| Boone | 27K | R+21.4 | 5,895 | 9,199 | 15,403 | 5.9% |
| Boone | 26K | R+21.4 | 5,895 | 9,199 | 15,403 | 5.9% |
| Boone | 26K | R+21.4 | 5,895 | 9,199 | 15,403 | 5.9% |
| Boone | 26K | R+21.4 | 5,895 | 9,199 | 15,403 | 5.9% |
| Group | Ames, IA | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 88.2% | 57.4% |
▶Asian(6) | 4.8% | 6.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(16) | 2.8% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.0% | 4.0% |
▶Black / African American(10) | 2.0% | 12.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.7% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -7.6pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.4% | 39.7% | — | — | |
| 9.9% | 27.3% | — | — | |
| 8.8% | 24.2% | — | — | |
| 2.8% | 7.6% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.5% | 4.1% | — | — |
| 0.5% | 1.3% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 63.6% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Ames, IA metro area? 465,586 residents across 8 counties.
43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 10pp above the national average. Places with similar education levels vote D+16 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | D+6.9 | D+1.9 | 5.0pp |