Iowa · Infrastructure & Trust
Voter Participation Rate in Iowa
Share of eligible voters (citizens age 18+, excluding those barred from voting) who cast a ballot in the general election.
71% in 2024
#10 of 50 · Top tier (higher is better)
Iowa is better than the 50-state median (65%). That's a gap of 6.3%.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
1980 – 2024 · Iowa only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About voter participation rate
What this measures: Share of eligible voters (citizens 18 and over, less those barred from voting) who cast a ballot in the general election.
Why it matters: Turnout is a basic measure of civic health and reflects how strongly voters expect government to respond.
Watch out: Eligibility is denominator-defined. States with more felons or non-citizens see different turnout patterns at the same level of engagement.
Recent trend
| Year | Iowa | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 49% | 44% |
| 2008 | 70% | 64% |
| 2010 | 51% | 44% |
| 2012 | 71% | 60% |
| 2014 | 50% | 41% |
| 2016 | 69% | 62% |
| 2018 | 58% | 51% |
| 2020 | 72% | 67% |
| 2022 | 52% | 47% |
| 2024 | 71% | 65% |
Iowa vs. neighboring states
Same metric (voter participation rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Voter Participation Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 77% | #2 of 50 |
| Wisconsin | 77% | #1 of 50 |
| Illinois | 64% | #32 of 50 |
| Missouri | 65% | #26 of 50 |
| Nebraska | 69% | #15 of 50 |
| South Dakota | 65% | #27 of 50 |
How Iowa compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Wisconsin | 7666% |
| #2 | Minnesota | 7650% |
| #3 | Michigan | 7485% |
| #4 | Maine | 7455% |
| #5 | New Hampshire | 7374% |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Texas | 5683% |
| #47 | West Virginia | 5556% |
| #48 | Arkansas | 5406% |
| #49 | Oklahoma | 5346% |
| #50 | Hawaiʻi | 5026% |
Source and methodology
Source: US Elections Project · Direction: higher is better · Unit: %
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)