DeKalb County is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 67% of adults in DeKalb County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in DeKalb County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How DeKalb County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, DeKalb County leans more Republican than 9 of 17 neighbors.
DeKalb County runs about 38 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within DeKalb County. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+67) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+52), a spread of about 15 points.
Why DeKalb County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for DeKalb County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 16% of adults in DeKalb County hold a bachelor's degree, about 6 points below the Missouri average of 22%.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; DeKalb County, MO sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in DeKalb County looks the way it does
Turnout in DeKalb County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Clinton County, MO R+48
- Daviess County, MO R+63
- Caldwell County, MO R+59
- Buchanan County, MO R+23
- Andrew County, MO R+50
- Gentry County, MO R+63
- Ray County, MO R+53
- Doniphan County, KS R+58
- Harrison County, MO R+64
- Clay County, MO R+7
Counties with Similar Populations
- North Slope Borough, AK D+12
- Washington County, NC D+7
- Lake County, SD R+38
- Candler County, GA R+40
- Grant County, WV R+74
- McIntosh County, GA R+24
- Wayne County, MO R+68
- Clay County, NC R+46
- Green County, KY R+68
- Washita County, OK R+74
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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.