Pontiac is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Pontiac typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pontiac, ~13% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pontiac compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pontiac leans more Republican than 27 of 60 neighbors.
Pontiac runs about 46 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Why Pontiac 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 Pontiac, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in Pontiac live in densely developed areas, about 18 points below the Missouri average of 22%.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a low never-married share and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Pontiac, MO does.
Why turnout in Pontiac looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Pontiac is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 11 points below the Missouri average of 57%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Sundown, MO R+64
- Isabella, MO R+65
- Oakland, AR R+45
- Mammoth, MO R+67
- Theodosia, MO R+66
- Three Brothers, AR R+59
- Ocie, MO R+65
- Nottinghill, MO R+65
- Bull Shoals, AR R+44
- Lakeview, AR R+50
Cities with Similar Populations
- Alcova, WY R+74
- Saratoga, KY R+58
- Mellette, SD R+57
- Benton City, MO R+65
- Teasleys Mill, AL R+12
- North Morenci, MI R+53
- Yellowbud, OH R+55
- North Redwood, MN R+37
- Rockleigh, NJ R+11
- Howard City, NE R+65
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.