Cooper County leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Cooper County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cooper County, ~20% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cooper County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Cooper County leans more Republican than 5 of 11 neighbors.
Cooper County runs about 28 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Cooper County. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+66) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+33), a spread of about 33 points.
Why Cooper County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Cooper County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Frequent mental distress and voter turnout
Places with a low frequent-mental-distress rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Cooper County, MO sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Reported mental distress does not drive turnout; it reflects economic and health conditions tied to voting.
Why turnout in Cooper County looks the way it does
Turnout in Cooper County 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 Counties
- Howard County, MO R+48
- Moniteau County, MO R+60
- Boone County, MO D+14
- Saline County, MO R+36
- Pettis County, MO R+43
- Morgan County, MO R+63
- Cole County, MO R+29
- Randolph County, MO R+49
- Chariton County, MO R+61
- Callaway County, MO R+43
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chickasaw County, MS R+12
- Franklin County, AR R+64
- Mason County, KY R+42
- Mariposa County, CA R+16
- Tama County, IA R+25
- Dallas County, MO R+66
- Morgan County, WV R+56
- Henry County, AL R+45
- Arkansas County, AR R+33
- Clayton County, IA R+39
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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.