In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Iowa, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Iowa and want to know where the majority of Iowans lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Hawkeye State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Iowa with a population greater than 5,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
70.6% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Johnson County, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 74,398 in 2016, making it the state’s fifth-largest city. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County. The metropolitan area, which encompasses Johnson and Washington counties, has a population of over 164,000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.6% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Johnson County, Iowa
Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,907 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.6% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Johnson County, Iowa
North Liberty is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.6% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Iowa
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
57.2% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Story County, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of Story County, Iowa, United States. It is located approximately 30 miles north of Des Moines, and had a 2010 population of 58,965. The U.S. Census Bureau designates the Ames metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County; combined with the Boone, Iowa micropolitan statistical area, the pair make up the larger Ames-Boone combined statistical area. While Ames is the largest city in Story County, the county seat is in the nearby city of Nevada 8 miles east of Ames.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
57.2% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Story County, Iowa
Nevada is a city in and the county seat of Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,798 in the 2010 census, an increase from 6,658 in the 2000 census. It is also part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area. Eight miles west of Nevada is Ames which is much larger in population. Nonetheless, Nevada is the county seat with all Story County offices located there. The city’s name is pronounced differently from the state with the same name.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
56.5% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Iowa
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
56.5% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Iowa
Bondurant is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,860 in the 2010 census, an increase of 109% from the 1,846 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
56.5% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Pleasant Hill is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,785 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of July, 2005, Pleasant Hill has been given a US Postal code, 50327.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
56.5% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Iowa
Located in
Warren County, Iowa
Norwalk is a city in Warren County, with some small portions extending into Polk County, in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 8,945 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located just south of the Des Moines International Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the liberal strongholds in Iowa
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in Iowa for 2026
To find the most liberal places in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
We started by making a list of every city in Iowa over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 85 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Democrats, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
The winner, Iowa City, is “The Most liberal City in Iowa For 2026”. The most conservative place in Iowa was Orange City.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Iowa.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In Iowa
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Iowa City | 75,752 | 70.6% |
| 2 | Coralville | 23,234 | 70.6% |
| 2 | North Liberty | 21,125 | 70.6% |
| 2 | Tiffin | 5,737 | 70.6% |
| 5 | Ames | 67,669 | 57.2% |
| 5 | Nevada | 6,983 | 57.2% |
| 13 | Polk City | 6,037 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Bondurant | 8,560 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Pleasant Hill | 11,136 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Norwalk | 14,183 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Grimes | 16,366 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Clive | 19,012 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Urbandale | 46,595 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Johnston | 24,384 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Windsor Heights | 5,143 | 56.5% |
| 13 | West Des Moines | 71,083 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Ankeny | 72,615 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Des Moines | 212,421 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Altoona | 21,495 | 56.5% |
| 21 | Marion | 41,896 | 55.6% |
| 21 | Hiawatha | 7,206 | 55.6% |
| 21 | Cedar Rapids | 137,264 | 55.6% |
| 23 | Waterloo | 67,008 | 53.5% |
| 23 | Cedar Falls | 40,888 | 53.5% |
| 26 | Davenport | 100,913 | 50.7% |
| 26 | Bettendorf | 39,647 | 50.7% |
| 26 | Eldridge | 6,818 | 50.7% |
| 28 | Fairfield | 9,456 | 48.2% |
| 30 | Adel | 6,430 | 48.0% |
| 30 | Waukee | 29,236 | 48.0% |
| 30 | Perry | 7,985 | 48.0% |
| 32 | Asbury | 5,989 | 47.6% |
| 32 | Dubuque | 59,174 | 47.6% |
| 34 | Decorah | 7,535 | 46.6% |
| 35 | Mason City | 27,050 | 46.0% |
| 35 | Clear Lake | 7,607 | 46.0% |
| 37 | Muscatine | 23,489 | 45.3% |
| 38 | Marshalltown | 27,626 | 45.1% |
| 39 | Burlington | 23,728 | 44.6% |
| 40 | Clinton | 24,322 | 43.8% |
| 40 | Maquoketa | 6,075 | 43.8% |
| 42 | Grinnell | 9,505 | 42.5% |
| 43 | Sergeant Bluff | 5,171 | 41.2% |
| 43 | Sioux City | 86,101 | 41.2% |
| 45 | Boone | 12,424 | 41.1% |
| 46 | Waverly | 10,494 | 41.0% |
| 47 | Council Bluffs | 62,586 | 40.6% |
| 48 | Indianola | 16,044 | 40.5% |
| 49 | Charles City | 7,232 | 39.5% |
| 50 | Fort Madison | 10,133 | 39.1% |
| 50 | Keokuk | 9,662 | 39.1% |
| 52 | Washington | 7,290 | 38.8% |
| 53 | Independence | 6,164 | 38.7% |
| 54 | Anamosa | 5,629 | 38.3% |
| 55 | Newton | 15,700 | 38.3% |
| 56 | Oelwein | 5,834 | 37.6% |
| 57 | Ottumwa | 25,430 | 37.2% |
| 58 | Fort Dodge | 24,827 | 37.1% |
| 59 | Storm Lake | 11,428 | 36.3% |
| 60 | Webster City | 7,769 | 35.8% |
| 61 | Creston | 7,435 | 33.3% |
| 62 | Iowa Falls | 5,038 | 33.1% |
| 63 | Mount Pleasant | 8,951 | 32.8% |
| 64 | Spirit Lake | 5,518 | 32.6% |
| 65 | Knoxville | 7,473 | 32.1% |
| 65 | Pella | 10,720 | 32.1% |
| 67 | Winterset | 5,416 | 31.9% |
| 68 | Manchester | 5,191 | 31.6% |
| 69 | Osceola | 5,523 | 31.4% |
| 70 | Estherville | 5,839 | 31.3% |
| 71 | Denison | 8,260 | 31.0% |
| 72 | Carroll | 10,208 | 30.5% |
| 73 | Glenwood | 5,144 | 30.3% |
| 74 | Atlantic | 6,763 | 30.3% |
| 75 | Red Oak | 5,510 | 29.7% |
| 76 | Cherokee | 5,154 | 29.7% |
| 77 | Spencer | 11,400 | 29.7% |
| 78 | Algona | 5,377 | 29.7% |
| 79 | Centerville | 5,372 | 29.0% |
| 80 | Clarinda | 5,353 | 27.7% |
| 81 | Oskaloosa | 11,504 | 25.4% |
| 82 | Le Mars | 10,640 | 24.6% |
| 83 | Sheldon | 5,474 | 20.8% |
| 84 | Sioux Center | 8,454 | 15.8% |
| 84 | Orange City | 6,426 | 15.8% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 85 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Iowa
Well, there you have it, the places in Iowa that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Iowa City ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Iowa are Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Ames, Nevada, Polk City, Bondurant, Pleasant Hill, and Norwalk.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Iowa.
