25% of Midwesterners say politics influences where they live
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About 25% of Midwest adults say local or national politics strongly influenced their decision on where to live, according to a recent survey from Realtor.com.
By the numbers: Republicans make up about 40% of active registered voters in Iowa, while Democrats and those without a party affiliation make up roughly 30% each, according to state voter data as of Nov. 1.
- Libertarians and other party members comprise less than 1% of registered voters statewide.
Zoom in: Democrats outnumber Republicans in many of the state's urban areas, including Polk, Linn, Johnson, Story, Black Hawk, and Dubuque counties.
- Republicans have higher shares in most other counties, including Osceola, Sioux and Lyon counties, where they make up 70% or more of total active voters.
Zoom out: Political scientists have been studying "voting with your feet" since the 1960s, Penn State professor Bruce A. Desmarais says.
- What's become apparent over time is places that tend to draw migration are extremes, Desmarais says.
- For example, college towns, which tend to be more liberal, are popular destinations for left-leaning folks. Those people may migrate from one college town to another.
The intrigue: Research shows people are not only leaving communities that don't align with their viewpoints but may also be willing to pay more for a house if they know their new neighbors share similar views, Desmarais says.
Yes, but: We don't know if this is good for political discourse.
- Some say communities should have a mix of political views to temper extremes, but in some instances, reaching across the aisle causes people to dig their heels in further, amplifying extremes, Desmarais tells Axios.