St. Louis City is a Democratic stronghold. About 83% of voters here vote Democratic and 17% Republican.
About 55% of adults in St. Louis City typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in St. Louis City, ~46% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How St. Louis City compares
Among counties within 50 miles, St. Louis City is the most Democratic-leaning.
St. Louis City runs about 84 points more Democratic than Missouri as a whole. Missouri leans Republican overall, while St. Louis City is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within St. Louis City. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+86) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+41), a spread of about 45 points.
Why St. Louis City 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 St. Louis City, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 99% of residents in St. Louis City live in densely developed areas, about 63 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and St. Louis City sits in the top quarter (about 40%, above 92% of counties). St. Louis City runs against the grain of Missouri, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; St. Louis City, 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 St. Louis City looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 54% of households in St. Louis City rent, about 29 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of adults in St. Louis City report food insecurity, above 85% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- St. Louis County, MO D+28
- St. Clair County, IL D+13
- Madison County, IL R+11
- Monroe County, IL R+39
- Jefferson County, MO R+39
- St. Charles County, MO R+14
- Jersey County, IL R+44
- Calhoun County, IL R+56
- Clinton County, IL R+47
- Franklin County, MO R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Gloucester County, NJ R+2
- Cumberland County, ME D+29
- Greene County, MO R+18
- Clayton County, GA D+68
- Ottawa County, MI R+16
- Dutchess County, NY D+8
- Cleveland County, OK R+14
- Chatham County, GA D+26
- Thurston County, WA D+19
- Lexington County, SC R+30
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.