Iowa's anchor metro, where suburban drift reshapes statewide math
The Des Moines–West Des Moines metro casts roughly a quarter of Iowa's statewide vote, and its fast-growing suburban collar counties have shifted margins noticeably over successive election cycles, making it a reliable bellwether for statewide outcomes.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | 503K | D+10.8 | 140,075 | 112,240 | 256,838 | 16.5% |
| Polk | 459K | D+10.8 | 140,075 | 112,240 | 256,838 | 16.5% |
| Polk | 416K | D+10.8 | 140,075 | 112,240 | 256,838 | 16.5% |
| Polk | 375K | D+10.8 | 140,075 | 112,240 | 256,838 | 16.5% |
| Dallas | 108K | R+4.7 | 29,402 | 32,374 | 62,961 | 4.0% |
| Dallas | 78K | R+4.7 | 29,402 | 32,374 | 62,961 | 4.0% |
| Dallas | 57K | R+4.7 | 29,402 | 32,374 | 62,961 | 4.0% |
| Warren | 54K | R+20.6 | 12,712 | 19,486 | 32,804 | 2.1% |
| Warren | 48K | R+20.6 | 12,712 | 19,486 | 32,804 | 2.1% |
| Warren | 44K | R+20.6 | 12,712 | 19,486 | 32,804 | 2.1% |
| Dallas | 41K | R+4.7 | 29,402 | 32,374 | 62,961 | 4.0% |
| Warren | 41K | R+20.6 | 12,712 | 19,486 | 32,804 | 2.1% |
| Jasper | 38K | R+27.5 | 7,141 | 12,701 | 20,198 | 1.3% |
| Jasper | 37K | R+27.5 | 7,141 | 12,701 | 20,198 | 1.3% |
| Jasper | 37K | R+27.5 | 7,141 | 12,701 | 20,198 | 1.3% |
| Jasper | 37K | R+27.5 | 7,141 | 12,701 | 20,198 | 1.3% |
| Madison | 17K | R+38.5 | 3,008 | 6,864 | 10,028 | 0.6% |
| Madison | 16K | R+38.5 | 3,008 | 6,864 | 10,028 | 0.6% |
| Madison | 15K | R+38.5 | 3,008 | 6,864 | 10,028 | 0.6% |
| Madison | 14K | R+38.5 | 3,008 | 6,864 | 10,028 | 0.6% |
| Guthrie | 11K | R+37.8 | 1,974 | 4,446 | 6,543 | 0.4% |
| Guthrie | 11K | R+37.8 | 1,974 | 4,446 | 6,543 | 0.4% |
| Guthrie | 11K | R+37.8 | 1,974 | 4,446 | 6,543 | 0.4% |
| Guthrie | 11K | R+37.8 | 1,974 | 4,446 | 6,543 | 0.4% |
| Group | Local | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 83.4% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(17) | 6.4% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(12) | 4.6% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 3.2% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.2% | 4.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.9% | 31.3% | — | — | |
| 11.7% | 31.0% | — | — | |
| 10.0% | 26.3% | — | — | |
| 3.3% | 8.8% | — | — | |
| 0.9% | 2.4% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.9% | 2.2% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 62.1% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area? 2,478,344 residents across 24 counties.
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+3.2 | R+2.3 | 5.4pp |