Downtown is a Democratic stronghold. About 84% of voters here vote Democratic and 16% Republican.
About 52% of adults in Downtown typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown, ~44% vote Democratic, ~8% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown leans more Democratic than 5 of 21 neighbors.
Downtown runs about 86 points more Democratic than Missouri as a whole. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Downtown is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+66), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Downtown 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 Downtown, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Downtown votes against the grain of Missouri. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Downtown runs about 86 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Downtown sits in the top quarter (about 57%, above 77% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 66% of adults in Downtown have never been married, above 96% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Downtown, St. Louis, MO sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Downtown looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 78% of households in Downtown rent, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Downtown sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Downtown West, St. Louis, MO D+71
- Soulard, St. Louis, MO D+64
- The Gate District, St. Louis, MO D+75
- Jeff-Vander-Lou, St. Louis, MO D+84
- Midtown St. Louis, St. Louis, MO D+71
- Grand Center, St. Louis, MO D+74
- Benton Park, St. Louis, MO D+74
- Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO D+76
- Benton Park West, St. Louis, MO D+74
- Shaw, St. Louis, MO D+75
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Dayton-Campbell Historic District, Hamilton, OH R+11
- Northgate Sacramento, Sacramento, CA D+32
- East Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX D+62
- University Park-Gainsville, Gainesville, FL D+41
- Abram-Perezville, Mission, TX R+6
- Penrose, Arlington, VA D+58
- Rodgers Forge, Towson, MD D+47
- The Oaks, Bakersfield, CA R+22
- Honey Creek Manor, Milwaukee, WI D+9
- Highline Villages, Aurora, CO D+45
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.