Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
presidential margin
2008D+17.22012D+14.12016D+0.32020D+1.12024R+6.5
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+6.5
2024
median income$70,988U.S. $80,734 · IA $75,059
median age36.6U.S. 39.1 · IA 38.8
poverty rate13.1%U.S. 12.5% · IA 11.1%
bachelor’s+ (25+)31.0%U.S. 35.6% · IA 31.8%
non-english7.3%U.S. 22.3% · IA 9.2%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German33.7%
Irish11.4%
English8.7%
African American†6.3%
African0.4%
Haitian0.2%
Mexican2.6%
Guatemalan0.7%
Puerto Rican0.4%
Burmese0.7%
Asian Indian0.3%
Vietnamese0.2%
Marshallese0.3%
Aztec0.2%
religion
other traditions
Black Protestant5.6%
Muslim1.6%
Latter-day Saints0.8%
Other Christian0.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa

Akashic
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IATrumpR+6.5
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, IAA map of the constituent counties of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, IA, each outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Black Hawk County, IA · D+1.2Bremer County, IA · R+22.1Grundy County, IA · R+41.7
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican52.4%44,369
Kamala HarrisDemocratic45.9%38,889
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.We The People1.7%1,401
D+60
R+60
3 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (3 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, IA — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Black Hawk County, IADemocraticD+1.2
Bremer County, IARepublicanR+22.1
Grundy County, IARepublicanR+41.7
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
45.9%Harris38,889
52.4%Trump44,369
1.7%Kennedy1,401
−6.5%
84,659
D
49.6%Biden43,811
48.5%Trump42,863
2.0%Jorgensen1,741
+1.1%
88,415
D
46.1%Clinton39,445
45.8%Trump39,211
8.2%Johnson6,986
+0.3%
85,642
D
56.3%Obama49,219
42.1%Romney36,855
1.6%Johnson1,375
+14.1%
87,449
D
57.9%Obama48,914
40.7%McCain34,348
1.4%Nader1,212
+17.2%
84,474
D
52.4%Kerry43,803
46.9%Bush39,140
0.7%Other592
+5.6%
83,535
D
51.7%Gore37,420
45.6%Bush32,994
2.7%Nader1,957
+6.1%
72,371
D
53.6%Clinton36,996
38.4%Dole26,463
8.0%Perot5,509
+15.3%
68,968
D
45.6%Clinton36,253
36.6%Bush29,040
17.8%Perot14,127
+9.1%
79,420
D
54.0%Dukakis38,829
45.3%Bush32,624
0.7%Larouche499
+8.6%
71,952
R
45.8%Mondale37,466
53.4%Reagan43,684
0.8%Larouche656
−7.6%
81,806
R
40.0%Carter32,839
49.9%Reagan40,977
10.1%Anderson8,250
−9.9%
82,066
R
45.7%Carter36,121
52.4%Ford41,419
1.9%McCarthy1,520
−6.7%
79,060
R
38.1%McGovern26,687
59.9%Nixon41,968
1.9%Schmitz1,363
−21.8%
70,018
R
38.9%Humphrey25,253
55.6%Nixon36,064
5.5%Wallace3,600
−16.7%
64,917
D
59.4%Johnson39,343
40.5%Goldwater26,839
0.1%Hass81
+18.9%
66,263
R
42.5%Kennedy29,486
57.5%Nixon39,928
0.1%Byrd45
−15.0%
69,459
R
39.1%Stevenson25,203
60.7%Eisenhower39,095
0.1%Andrews79
−21.6%
64,377
R
33.9%Stevenson21,206
65.7%Eisenhower41,129
0.4%Hallinan238
−31.8%
62,573
D
51.6%Truman25,449
46.7%Dewey23,032
1.7%Thurmond829
+4.9%
49,310
R
46.9%Roosevelt21,548
52.7%Dewey24,173
0.4%Thomas189
−5.7%
45,910
R
46.6%Roosevelt23,153
53.1%Willkie26,414
0.3%Thomas134
−6.6%
49,701
D
55.0%Roosevelt25,769
41.7%Landon19,542
3.3%Lemke1,543
+13.3%
46,854
D
54.1%Roosevelt23,732
44.8%Hoover19,685
1.1%Thomas476
+9.2%
43,893
R
32.8%Smith13,233
66.8%Hoover26,959
0.4%Thomas158
−34.0%
40,350
R
12.1%Davis4,507
60.8%Coolidge22,667
27.1%La Follette10,100
−48.7%
37,274
R
16.1%Cox5,616
80.1%Harding27,869
3.8%Debs1,317
−63.9%
34,802
R
34.9%Wilson6,417
62.9%Hughes11,553
2.2%Benson402
−28.0%
18,372
O
38.8%Wilson6,795
17.3%Taft3,035
43.9%Roosevelt7,678
Roosevelt +5.0
17,508
R
39.0%Bryan6,157
56.7%Taft8,954
4.2%Debs670
−17.7%
15,781
R
31.3%Parker4,582
62.7%Roosevelt9,184
6.1%Debs890
−31.4%
14,656
R
37.1%Bryan5,644
60.6%McKinley9,213
2.3%Woolley353
−23.5%
15,210
R
36.0%Bryan5,077
61.4%McKinley8,653
2.5%Palmer355
−25.4%
14,085
R
46.6%Cleveland5,832
51.2%Harrison6,413
2.2%Weaver279
−4.6%
12,524
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −6.5% in 2024.flipped R · 2024−6.5%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−4.6%
1896−25.4%
1900−23.5%
1904−31.4%
1908−17.7%
1912+21.5%
1916−28.0%
1920−63.9%
1924−48.7%
1928−34.0%
1932+9.2%
1936+13.3%
1940−6.6%
1944−5.7%
1948+4.9%
1952−31.8%
1956−21.6%
1960−15.0%
1964+18.9%
1968−16.7%
1972−21.8%
1976−6.7%
1980−9.9%
1984−7.6%
1988+8.6%
1992+9.1%
1996+15.3%
2000+6.1%
2004+5.6%
2008+17.2%
2012+14.1%
2016+0.3%
2020+1.1%
2024−6.5%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Voter registration in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IARegistered voters by party of registration, 2008–2024. Latest total 114,134 in 2024.29.5K59K88.5K118K114.1K20082024
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
Voter registration in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
YearTotal registeredDemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther
2008113,98838,51430,63244,78260
2010115,61438,38631,59745,506125
2012117,96338,25532,35147,175182
2014116,32937,34231,44047,158389
2016115,91838,47232,90743,827712
2018115,69538,28631,94944,3981,062
2020117,28642,42934,58139,304972
2022114,55839,53934,04640,011962
2024114,13436,99334,87441,1841,083
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

Anchored by Waterloo and Cedar Falls, this metro pairs a historically union-heavy industrial core with a college-town precincts around the University of Northern Iowa, producing persistent intra-metro splits that have made it a genuine swing bellwether in statewide races.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 21.5 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 63.9 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 7.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 6.5 points.

A population of 168,637, a 82% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $70,988 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Cedar Rapids, IA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Cedar Rapids, IA
92.3twin score
2000–2012 trajectory
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
89.2twin score
2000–2012 trajectory≠ % unaffiliated
Janesville-Beloit, WI
88.9twin score
2000–2012 trajectory≠ Norwegian ancestry

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/47940/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

counties3
Black Hawk CountyBremer CountyGrundy County

Frequently asked questions

How did Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa vote in 2024?
In 2024, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa voted Republican by 6.5 points (R+6.5), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 84,659 votes cast, 38,889 went Democratic and 44,369 went Republican.
When did Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa voted Democratic was 2020.
How many people live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa has a population of 168,637 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa?
Median household income in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa is $70,988 — below the national median of $80,734. The Iowa state median is $75,059.
What is the political history of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 13 went Democratic and 20 went Republican.