Wathena is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 63% of adults in Wathena typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Wathena, ~13% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Wathena compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Wathena leans more Republican than 30 of 57 neighbors.
Wathena runs about 44 points more Republican than Kansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Wathena. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+48), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Wathena leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Wathena. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion and voter turnout
Places with high-school-completion-heavy adults tend to turn out at a higher rate; Wathena, KS sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Wathena looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Wathena have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Palermo, KS R+59
- Elwood, KS R+46
- Troy, KS R+59
- St. Joseph, MO R+21
- Country Club, MO R+35
- Nodaway, MO R+64
- Amazonia, MO R+61
- Doniphan, KS R+62
- Moray, KS R+71
- Bendena, KS R+64
Cities with Similar Populations
- Toledo, IL R+61
- Rock Creek, OH R+50
- Letha, ID R+69
- Tustin, MI R+50
- Fancy Farm, KY R+67
- Seabrook Island, SC R+8
- Rogers, TX R+59
- Thrall, TX R+51
- Cairo Bend, TN R+43
- Pine Ridge, SC R+34
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kansas 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.