Polk County, Iowa
Latest: 2024
Leans Democratic — shifted 4.4pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 73.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(17) | 10.4% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 7.4% |
▶Asian(6) | 5.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 0.3% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.7% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 13.5% | 34.9% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 10.9% | 28.1% |
| Mainline Protestant | 9.4% | 24.3% |
| Other | 3.5% | 9.0% |
| Black Protestant | 1.3% | 3.5% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 2.1% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Non-religious | 61.3% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+10.8 |
| 2020 | Biden+15.3 |
| 2016 | Clinton+11.3 |
| 2012 | Obama+14.1 |
| 2008 | Obama+14.6 |
| 2004 | Kerry+4.6 |
| 2000 | Gore+5.6 |
| 1996 | Clinton+14.7 |
| 1992 | Clinton+8.9 |
Polk, Iowa is a county that has a population of 503,175. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+10.8. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 54.5% | 43.7% | D+10.8 | R+4.4 |
| 2020 | 56.5% | 41.3% | D+15.3 | D+4.0 |
| 2016 | 51.3% | 40.1% | D+11.3 | R+2.9 |
| 2012 | 56.1% | 42.0% | D+14.1 | R+0.5 |
| 2008 | 56.4% | 41.8% | D+14.6 | D+10.0 |
| 2004 | 51.9% | 47.3% | D+4.6 | R+1.0 |
| 2000 | 51.5% | 45.9% | D+5.6 | R+9.1 |
| 1996 | 53.7% | 39.0% | D+14.7 | D+5.8 |
| 1992 | 47.0% | 38.1% | D+8.9 | R+9.7 |
| 1988 | 59.0% | 40.4% | D+18.6 | D+15.9 |
| 1984 | 51.0% | 48.3% | D+2.7 | D+4.2 |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 44.6% | R+1.5 | R+8.5 |
| 1976 | 52.2% | 45.2% | D+7.0 | D+15.3 |
| 1972 | 44.6% | 53.0% | R+8.3 | R+9.2 |
| 1968 | 45.9% | 45.1% | D+0.8 | R+32.2 |
| 1964 | 66.3% | 33.3% | D+33.0 | D+40.5 |
| 1960 | 46.2% | 53.7% | R+7.5 | D+0.6 |
| 1956 | 45.9% | 54.0% | R+8.1 | D+0.8 |
| 1952 | 45.1% | 54.0% | R+8.9 | R+23.1 |
| 1948 | 55.7% | 41.5% | D+14.2 | — |
What defines Polk?
It has a moderately diverse, middle-class electorate where education levels and suburban growth shape the partisan balance.
County in State Context
Current Iowa Polling
Contextual statewide polling for Iowa. County pages stay rooted in county returns, but live statewide polling helps frame the current cycle.
2026 Iowa Governor General Election
Rob Sand leads at 50.0%
1 pollsSparse
Field Preview
Ask the Historian
Explore this county's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- Swung 4.4 points toward Republican between 2020 and 2024
Located In
Polk sits inside these higher-level geographies.