Downtown West is a Democratic stronghold. About 86% of voters here vote Democratic and 14% Republican.
About 46% of adults in Downtown West typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Downtown West, ~40% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Downtown West compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Downtown West leans more Democratic than 10 of 25 neighbors.
Downtown West runs about 90 points more Democratic than Missouri as a whole. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Downtown West is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within Downtown West. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+76) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+61), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Downtown West 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 West, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Downtown West votes against the grain of Missouri. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Downtown West runs about 90 points more Democratic. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Downtown West sits in the top quarter (about 56%, above 76% of neighborhoods). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 60% of adults in Downtown West have never been married, above 93% of neighborhoods.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Downtown West, 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 West looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 75% of households in Downtown West rent, about 50 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and Downtown West 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, St. Louis, MO D+67
- 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
- Soulard, St. Louis, MO D+64
- 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
- The Reserve, Port St. Lucie, FL R+28
- Holly Grove, New Orleans, LA D+81
- Vancouver Heights, Vancouver, WA D+19
- Capitol Heights, Milwaukee, WI D+81
- Barnum, Denver, CO D+51
- Olive Drive Area, Bakersfield, CA R+42
- Downtown Concord, Concord, CA D+44
- Dorsey-Riverbend, Fort Lauderdale, FL D+78
- Country Lakes, Miramar, FL D+15
- Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley, CA D+76
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.