HarrisDemocratic33.4%1,619TrumpRepublican65.1%3,157KennedyWe The People1.0%50
R+31.7- Lead
- 1,538
- Total
- 4,850
- vs nation
- R+30.2
- Turnout
- 70.8%
Akashiccounty
Howard County, IA
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
President results by year
2024 turnout 70.8% of 6,902 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic35.7%1,772TrumpRepublican63.1%3,127JorgensenLibertarian0.5%23
R+27.3- Lead
- 1,355
- Total
- 4,958
- vs nation
- R+31.8
- Turnout
- 73.3%
ClintonDemocratic36.1%1,677TrumpRepublican56.3%2,611JohnsonLibertarian2.8%131
R+20.1- Lead
- 934
- Total
- 4,640
- vs nation
- R+22.2
- Turnout
- 65.7%
ObamaDemocratic59.6%2,768RomneyRepublican38.6%1,795JohnsonLibertarian0.9%41
D+20.9- Lead
- 973
- Total
- 4,645
- vs nation
- D+17.1
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic62.2%2,941McCainRepublican36.4%1,722OtherAll other candidates1.4%65
D+25.8- Lead
- 1,219
- Total
- 4,728
- vs nation
- D+18.5
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic55.7%2,614BushRepublican43.2%2,028OtherAll other candidates1.2%55
D+12.5- Lead
- 586
- Total
- 4,697
- vs nation
- D+14.9
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic54.0%2,426BushRepublican42.8%1,922NaderGreen2.2%100
D+11.2- Lead
- 504
- Total
- 4,491
- vs nation
- D+10.7
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic52.3%2,303DoleRepublican34.7%1,528PerotReform12.6%555
D+17.6- Lead
- 775
- Total
- 4,405
- vs nation
- D+9.1
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+31.7MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 9,4452024 5-year
- Population density
- 20 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 473 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $67,4462024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 93.0%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.8%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.3%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+26.3 in 1932MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+34.8 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Chickasaw County, IA · twin score 95.0
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 70.8%4,884 participants ÷ 6,902 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +24.5 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off versus state
- +3.6 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 46.2%–52.1%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 4,640 | 7,062 | 65.7% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 3,671 | 6,932 | 53.0% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 4,996 | 6,812 | 73.3% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 3,407 | 6,982 | 48.8% | A/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 4,884 | 6,902 | 70.8% | A/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 306/183.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.
presidential history
Party record book
Howard County, IA · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
62.7%
4,176 votes · D+26.3
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 62.2%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
66.5%
3,601 votes · R+34.8
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 65.1%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
4,176votes
62.7% of the vote · D+26.3
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 · 3,861 votes
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower1952
4,305votes
62.6% of the vote · R+25.3
Runner-up · Wendell Willkie, 1940 · 3,714 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
+18.5pts D vs U.S.
Place D+25.8 · U.S. D+7.3
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2012 · +17.1 pts
Republican
Donald Trump2020
+31.8pts R vs U.S.
Place R+27.3 · U.S. D+4.5
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · +30.2 pts
U.S. House elections · 3 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2024R+8.5
Presidential vote · 2024R+31.7
Registration leans Republican; the presidential vote runs 23 points more Republican than the rolls.
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
| Year | Total registered | Democratic | Republican | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6,294 | 2,201 | 1,523 | 2,569 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6,416 | 2,148 | 1,574 | 2,693 | 1 |
| 2012 | 6,248 | 2,028 | 1,511 | 2,708 | 1 |
| 2014 | 6,244 | 1,902 | 1,492 | 2,846 | 4 |
| 2016 | 6,384 | 1,882 | 1,544 | 2,945 | 13 |
| 2018 | 6,224 | 1,750 | 1,565 | 2,888 | 21 |
| 2020 | 6,376 | 1,765 | 1,837 | 2,739 | 35 |
| 2022 | 6,284 | 1,595 | 1,887 | 2,764 | 38 |
| 2024 | 6,439 | 1,450 | 2,000 | 2,948 | 41 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
−39 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −587 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $46,037 in average income, against $74,274 for residents who stayed — 38% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+21.5 on average — 10 points more Democratic-leaning than Howard County, IA itself (R+31.7).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Winneshiek County, IA28R+9.2
- Chickasaw County, IA22R+37.1
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Winneshiek County, IA39
- Chickasaw County, IA20
- Mitchell County, IA20
Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −28 |
| 2012 | −11 |
| 2013 | −119 |
| 2014 | −91 |
| 2015 | −58 |
| 2016 | −56 |
| 2017 | −44 |
| 2018 | −37 |
| 2019 | −6 |
| 2021 | +4 |
| 2022 | +32 |
| 2023 | −123 |
| 2024 | −11 |
| 2025 | −39 |
Howard County's small towns and agricultural economy anchor a voting pattern that has shifted roughly 40 points toward Republicans over the past two decades, mirroring broader rural realignment across the upper Midwest.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 26.3 points in 1932 and a Republican high of 34.8 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 4.4 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 31.7 points.
A population of 9,445, a 93% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $67,446 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Chickasaw County and Allamakee County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Chickasaw County
Iowa
95.0twin score
12-yr trend2000–2008 trajectory≠ Norwegian ancestry
Allamakee County
Iowa
91.0twin score
2004–2012 trajectoryelasticity≠ 12-yr trend
Clayton County
Iowa
90.4twin score
12-yr trend2004–2008 trajectoryelasticity≠ % Catholic
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.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
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.
Howard County, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/19089/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Howard County
Iowa at the ballot boxAll elections →
Frequently asked questions
How did Howard County, Iowa vote in 2024?
In 2024, Howard County, Iowa voted Republican by 31.7 points (R+31.7), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 4,850 votes cast, 1,619 went Democratic and 3,157 went Republican.
When did Howard County, Iowa last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Howard County, Iowa voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in Howard County, Iowa?
Howard County, Iowa has a population of 9,445 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Howard County, Iowa?
Median household income in Howard County, Iowa is $67,446 — below the national median of $80,734. The Iowa state median is $75,059.
What is the political history of Howard County, Iowa?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Howard County, Iowa from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 19 went Republican.