Kirkwood leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 88% of adults in Kirkwood typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kirkwood, ~53% vote Democratic, ~35% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kirkwood compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kirkwood leans more Democratic than 103 of 171 neighbors.
Kirkwood runs about 39 points more Democratic than Missouri as a whole. Missouri leans Republican overall, while Kirkwood is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Kirkwood. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+52) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+10), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Kirkwood leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Kirkwood, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 67% of adults in Kirkwood hold a bachelor's degree, about 39 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Kirkwood sits in the top fifth on density (about 96%, above 98% of cities). Kirkwood runs against the grain of Missouri, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Kirkwood, MO sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Kirkwood looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Kirkwood is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 74%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in Kirkwood have completed high school, above 93% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Glendale, MO D+30
- Des Peres, MO Even
- Warson Woods, MO Even
- Huntleigh, MO R+23
- Crestwood, MO D+19
- Crystal Lake Park, MO R+6
- Frontenac, MO Even
- Rock Hill, MO D+47
- Webster Groves, MO D+38
- Sunset Hills, MO R+9
Cities with Similar Populations
- Huntley, IL R+3
- Muscatine, IA R+11
- Fort Hood, TX R+3
- Pacific Palisades, CA D+34
- Hermiston, OR R+28
- North Attleboro, MA D+8
- East Lake-Orient Park, FL D+35
- Elk River, MN R+19
- Clinton, MS D+6
- Oakdale, MN D+17
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.