Cole County leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Cole County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cole County, ~27% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cole County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cole County leans more Republican than 1 of 14 neighbors.
Cole County runs about 10 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cole County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+18) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+65), a spread of about 83 points.
Why Cole County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Cole County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Cole County, MO does.
Why turnout in Cole County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 94% of adults in Cole County have completed high school, above 86% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Osage County, MO R+70
- Callaway County, MO R+43
- Moniteau County, MO R+60
- Miller County, MO R+64
- Boone County, MO D+14
- Maries County, MO R+66
- Morgan County, MO R+63
- Cooper County, MO R+46
- Gasconade County, MO R+58
- Camden County, MO R+54
Counties with Similar Populations
- Clallam County, WA D+9
- Anderson County, TN R+39
- Ross County, OH R+44
- Augusta County, VA R+45
- Cattaraugus County, NY R+29
- White County, AR R+56
- Cheshire County, NH Even
- Forrest County, MS R+6
- Walker County, TX R+20
- James City County, VA D+8
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.