Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Des Moines-Ames
presidential margin
2008D+6.82012D+4.42016R+6.72020R+5.32024R+9.9
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+9.9
2024
median income$79,752U.S. $80,734 · IA $75,059
median age37.5U.S. 39.1 · IA 38.8
poverty rate10.4%U.S. 12.5% · IA 11.1%
bachelor’s+ (25+)35.8%U.S. 35.6% · IA 31.8%
non-english10.8%U.S. 22.3% · IA 9.2%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German27.4%
Irish12.8%
English11.6%
Mexican5.4%
Puerto Rican0.4%
Salvadoran0.4%
African American†2.3%
Sudanese0.4%
African0.3%
Asian Indian0.7%
Burmese0.5%
Chinese0.4%
religion
other traditions
Muslim1.0%
Latter-day Saints0.9%
Other Christian0.5%
Black Protestant0.5%
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.

Des Moines-Ames, Iowa

Akashic
Des Moines-AmesTrumpR+9.9
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Des Moines-Ames, IAA map of the constituent counties of Des Moines-Ames, 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.Jasper County, IA · R+27.5Adair County, IA · R+44.9Union County, IA · R+36.1Webster County, IA · R+31.1Marion County, IA · R+37.6Franklin County, IA · R+41.6Taylor County, IA · R+55.7Wayne County, IA · R+57.1Greene County, IA · R+32.9Monroe County, IA · R+50.6Boone County, IA · R+21.5Kossuth County, IA · R+44.1Hardin County, IA · R+38.3Marshall County, IA · R+15.5Wright County, IA · R+36.4Poweshiek County, IA · R+16.9Madison County, IA · R+38.5Appanoose County, IA · R+46.5Ringgold County, IA · R+51.3Guthrie County, IA · R+37.8Story County, IA · D+10.3Audubon County, IA · R+38.3Lucas County, IA · R+48.0Decatur County, IA · R+46.9Calhoun County, IA · R+46.7Humboldt County, IA · R+49.9Dallas County, IA · R+4.7Pocahontas County, IA · R+53.9Mahaska County, IA · R+51.4Polk County, IA · D+10.8Clarke County, IA · R+41.9Adams County, IA · R+44.1Warren County, IA · R+20.6Carroll County, IA · R+41.8Hamilton County, IA · R+33.2
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican54.0%346,757
Kamala HarrisDemocratic44.2%283,449
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.We The People1.8%11,372
D+60
R+60
35 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (35 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Des Moines-Ames, IA — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Adair County, IARepublicanR+44.9
Adams County, IARepublicanR+44.1
Appanoose County, IARepublicanR+46.5
Audubon County, IARepublicanR+38.3
Boone County, IARepublicanR+21.5
Calhoun County, IARepublicanR+46.7
Carroll County, IARepublicanR+41.8
Clarke County, IARepublicanR+41.9
Dallas County, IARepublicanR+4.7
Decatur County, IARepublicanR+46.9
Franklin County, IARepublicanR+41.6
Greene County, IARepublicanR+32.9
Guthrie County, IARepublicanR+37.8
Hamilton County, IARepublicanR+33.2
Hardin County, IARepublicanR+38.3
Humboldt County, IARepublicanR+49.9
Jasper County, IARepublicanR+27.5
Kossuth County, IARepublicanR+44.1
Lucas County, IARepublicanR+48.0
Madison County, IARepublicanR+38.5
Mahaska County, IARepublicanR+51.4
Marion County, IARepublicanR+37.6
Marshall County, IARepublicanR+15.5
Monroe County, IARepublicanR+50.6
Pocahontas County, IARepublicanR+53.9
Polk County, IADemocraticD+10.8
Poweshiek County, IARepublicanR+16.9
Ringgold County, IARepublicanR+51.3
Story County, IADemocraticD+10.3
Taylor County, IARepublicanR+55.7
Union County, IARepublicanR+36.1
Warren County, IARepublicanR+20.6
Wayne County, IARepublicanR+57.1
Webster County, IARepublicanR+31.1
Wright County, IARepublicanR+36.4
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
44.2%Harris283,449
54.0%Trump346,757
1.8%Kennedy11,372
−9.9%
641,578
R
46.3%Biden297,350
51.6%Trump331,580
2.1%Jorgensen13,305
−5.3%
642,235
R
42.5%Clinton248,810
49.2%Trump288,284
8.3%Johnson48,899
−6.7%
585,993
D
51.2%Obama296,307
46.8%Romney270,807
1.9%Johnson11,158
+4.4%
578,272
D
52.5%Obama291,697
45.7%McCain253,932
1.8%Nader10,192
+6.8%
555,821
R
48.5%Kerry260,874
50.7%Bush272,982
0.8%Other4,482
−2.2%
538,338
R
48.0%Gore225,275
49.2%Bush230,913
2.8%Nader13,161
−1.2%
469,349
D
51.3%Clinton222,559
39.8%Dole172,677
8.9%Perot38,656
+11.5%
433,892
D
44.8%Clinton209,156
37.9%Bush176,979
17.3%Perot80,772
+6.9%
466,907
D
57.5%Dukakis242,952
41.8%Bush176,446
0.7%Larouche3,078
+15.7%
422,476
R
48.4%Mondale220,101
50.8%Reagan231,063
0.8%Larouche3,708
−2.4%
454,872
R
39.8%Carter180,609
49.3%Reagan223,776
10.8%Anderson49,101
−9.5%
453,486
D
51.1%Carter223,371
46.7%Ford204,170
2.2%McCarthy9,701
+4.4%
437,242
R
41.4%McGovern175,261
56.5%Nixon238,822
2.1%Schmitz8,894
−15.0%
422,977
R
42.1%Humphrey165,279
51.3%Nixon201,267
6.6%Wallace25,863
−9.2%
392,409
D
64.4%Johnson254,979
35.3%Goldwater140,041
0.3%Hass1,180
+29.0%
396,200
R
43.6%Kennedy187,502
56.4%Nixon242,632
0.1%Byrd337
−12.8%
430,471
R
42.7%Stevenson181,829
57.0%Eisenhower242,777
0.3%Andrews1,370
−14.3%
425,976
R
37.1%Stevenson162,023
62.0%Eisenhower270,995
1.0%Hallinan4,248
−24.9%
437,266
D
51.6%Truman182,169
45.6%Dewey160,774
2.8%Thurmond9,908
+6.1%
352,851
D
50.3%Roosevelt181,839
49.1%Dewey177,402
0.7%Thomas2,364
+1.2%
361,605
D
50.7%Roosevelt211,317
48.9%Willkie203,641
0.5%Thomas1,888
+1.8%
416,846
D
54.3%Roosevelt212,302
43.5%Landon170,115
2.2%Lemke8,712
+10.8%
391,129
D
54.7%Roosevelt183,298
42.0%Hoover140,773
3.3%Thomas11,088
+12.7%
335,159
R
34.5%Smith115,667
64.6%Hoover216,841
0.9%Thomas2,957
−30.2%
335,465
R
13.8%Davis45,664
56.5%Coolidge187,456
29.8%La Follette98,824
−42.7%
331,944
R
26.4%Cox81,794
70.6%Harding219,105
3.1%Debs9,499
−44.2%
310,398
R
43.0%Wilson75,781
53.8%Hughes94,821
3.2%Benson5,618
−10.8%
176,220
O
33.8%Wilson56,830
25.9%Taft43,568
40.3%Roosevelt67,869
Roosevelt +6.6
168,267
R
36.9%Bryan62,974
58.3%Taft99,428
4.7%Debs8,082
−21.4%
170,484
R
25.7%Parker43,102
66.7%Roosevelt111,968
7.6%Debs12,692
−41.0%
167,762
R
36.4%Bryan67,245
60.8%McKinley112,508
2.8%Woolley5,205
−24.5%
184,958
R
42.1%Bryan76,080
56.5%McKinley101,923
1.4%Palmer2,547
−14.3%
180,550
R
38.5%Cleveland57,636
53.3%Harrison79,896
8.2%Weaver12,300
−14.9%
149,832
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: −9.9% in 2024.flipped R · 2016−9.9%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−14.9%
1896−14.3%
1900−24.5%
1904−41.0%
1908−21.4%
1912+7.9%
1916−10.8%
1920−44.2%
1924−42.7%
1928−30.2%
1932+12.7%
1936+10.8%
1940+1.8%
1944+1.2%
1948+6.1%
1952−24.9%
1956−14.3%
1960−12.8%
1964+29.0%
1968−9.2%
1972−15.0%
1976+4.4%
1980−9.5%
1984−2.4%
1988+15.7%
1992+6.9%
1996+11.5%
2000−1.2%
2004−2.2%
2008+6.8%
2012+4.4%
2016−6.7%
2020−5.3%
2024−9.9%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Voter registration in Des Moines-AmesRegistered voters by party of registration, 2008–2024. Latest total 852,214 in 2024.213.1K426.1K639.2K852.2K852.2K20082024
DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties
Voter registration in Des Moines-Ames
YearTotal registeredDemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther
2008776,667276,761229,289270,180437
2010747,041254,740236,238255,313750
2012768,075251,147247,883267,9131,132
2014765,414240,158245,601277,2642,391
2016789,658253,036261,878270,0704,674
2018796,968255,625255,738278,4987,107
2020835,712286,437279,906261,5977,772
2022837,691272,852283,159273,6678,013
2024852,214256,148297,138290,3468,582
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

The Des Moines–Ames market anchors Iowa's political center of gravity, blending a state capital, a Big Ten university town, and fast-growing Polk County suburbs that have trended competitive in recent presidential cycles.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 29.0 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 44.2 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the market moved 4.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 9.9 points.

A population of 1,225,525, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $79,752 describe the market. The market's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque and Madison.

Political twins — media markets

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

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque
Iowa
89.1twin score
12-yr trend% Evangelical% White
Madison
Wisconsin
75.9twin score
% White% EvangelicalScottish ancestry≠ 2024 margin
Rochester-Mason City-Austin
Iowa
73.3twin score
2004–2012 trajectory12-yr trend≠ % unaffiliated

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 →

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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Des Moines-Ames, Iowa. Akashic. https://akashic.app/dma/679/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Des Moines-Ames

counties35
Adair CountyAdams CountyAppanoose CountyAudubon CountyBoone CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyClarke CountyDallas CountyDecatur CountyFranklin CountyGreene CountyGuthrie CountyHamilton CountyHardin CountyHumboldt CountyJasper CountyKossuth CountyLucas CountyMadison CountyMahaska CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMonroe County+11 more

Frequently asked questions

How did Des Moines-Ames, Iowa vote in 2024?
In 2024, Des Moines-Ames, Iowa voted Republican by 9.9 points (R+9.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 641,578 votes cast, 283,449 went Democratic and 346,757 went Republican.
When did Des Moines-Ames, Iowa last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Des Moines-Ames, Iowa voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in Des Moines-Ames, Iowa?
Des Moines-Ames, Iowa has a population of 1,225,525 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Des Moines-Ames, Iowa?
Median household income in Des Moines-Ames, Iowa is $79,752 — below the national median of $80,734. The Iowa state median is $75,059.
What is the political history of Des Moines-Ames, Iowa?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Des Moines-Ames, Iowa from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 12 went Democratic and 21 went Republican.