Macon County is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Macon County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Macon County, ~17% vote Democratic, ~62% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Macon County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Macon County leans more Republican than 6 of 11 neighbors.
Macon County runs about 39 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Macon County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+71) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+47), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Macon 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 Macon County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Macon County, about 92% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Frequent mental distress and voter turnout
Places with a low frequent-mental-distress rate tend to turn out at a higher rate; Macon County, MO sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Reported mental distress does not drive turnout; it reflects economic and health conditions tied to voting.
Why turnout in Macon County looks the way it does
Turnout in Macon 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
- Shelby County, MO R+65
- Randolph County, MO R+49
- Adair County, MO R+21
- Linn County, MO R+55
- Knox County, MO R+66
- Chariton County, MO R+61
- Monroe County, MO R+57
- Sullivan County, MO R+56
- Schuyler County, MO R+67
- Howard County, MO R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Page County, IA R+39
- Alleghany County, VA R+51
- Pecos County, TX R+28
- Kingfisher County, OK R+64
- Lawrence County, IL R+47
- West Feliciana Parish, LA R+48
- Marshall County, OK R+56
- Roseau County, MN R+45
- Grayson County, VA R+59
- Fleming County, KY R+61
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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.