Clayton leans slightly Democratic by roughly 10 points: about 55% of voters vote Democratic and 45% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Clayton typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Clayton, ~36% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Clayton compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Clayton leans more Democratic than 4 of 10 neighbors.
Clayton runs about 28 points more Democratic than Missouri as a whole. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Clayton is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Clayton. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+23) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (Even), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Clayton leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Clayton, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Clayton votes against the grain of Missouri. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Clayton runs about 28 points more Democratic.
Frequent mental distress and voter turnout
Places with a low frequent-mental-distress rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Clayton, Kansas City, MO sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Reported mental distress does not drive turnout; it reflects economic and health conditions tied to voting.
Why turnout in Clayton looks the way it does
Turnout in Clayton sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Lakeview Terrace, Kansas City, MO D+14
- Barry Harbour, Kansas City, MO D+13
- Breen Hills, Kansas City, MO D+7
- Platte Brook North, Kansas City, MO D+9
- Davidson, Kansas City, MO D+11
- Parkdale-Walden, Kansas City, MO D+8
- The Coves, Kansas City, MO D+14
- Gashland, Kansas City, MO R+4
- Coves North, Kansas City, MO D+9
- Park Forest, Kansas City, MO D+12
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Highlands, Beaverton, OR D+38
- Gresham-Northwest, Gresham, OR D+24
- Wallace Woods, Covington, KY D+13
- Fairpark, Salt Lake City, UT D+40
- Kamala Park, Oxnard, CA D+37
- North Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA D+38
- Weber, Iowa City, IA D+46
- Eagledale, Indianapolis, IN D+35
- El Camino, South San Francisco, CA D+43
- Haevers Corners, Green Bay, WI D+19
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Missouri Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.