Monroe County is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Monroe County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Monroe County, ~17% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Monroe County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Monroe County leans more Republican than 8 of 13 neighbors.
Monroe County runs about 38 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Monroe County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+68) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+46), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Monroe 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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, about 92% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Monroe County, MO sits below the national average on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Monroe County looks the way it does
Turnout in Monroe 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
- Audrain County, MO R+48
- Ralls County, MO R+62
- Randolph County, MO R+49
- Marion County, MO R+44
- Macon County, MO R+57
- Lewis County, MO R+59
- Boone County, MO D+14
- Pike County, MO R+55
- Adams County, IL R+40
Counties with Similar Populations
- Turner County, SD R+53
- Jenkins County, GA R+20
- Lyon County, KY R+56
- Gallatin County, KY R+57
- Oregon County, MO R+69
- Lucas County, IA R+44
- Modoc County, CA R+44
- Wilson County, KS R+59
- Woods County, OK R+57
- Madison County, MT R+46
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.