West Plains is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 73% of adults in West Plains typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in West Plains, ~15% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How West Plains compares
Among cities within 25 miles, West Plains is the least Republican-leaning.
West Plains runs about 39 points more Republican than Missouri as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within West Plains. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+66) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+48), a spread of about 18 points.
Why West Plains 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 West Plains, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
West Plains votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 42%, well above the Missouri average of 22%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; West Plains, MO sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in West Plains looks the way it does
Turnout in West Plains 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 Cities
- Olden, MO R+68
- South Fork, MO R+71
- White Church, MO R+69
- Brandsville, MO R+70
- Pomona, MO R+69
- Pottersville, MO R+72
- Peace Valley, MO R+70
- Crider, MO R+72
- Siloam Springs, MO R+72
- Lebo, MO R+70
Cities with Similar Populations
- Payson, AZ R+42
- Havre de Grace, MD D+5
- Melville, NY R+4
- Lillington, NC R+24
- Stroudsburg, PA Even
- Evergreen Park, IL D+31
- Yankton, SD R+31
- Mattoon, IL R+33
- Grand Island, NY R+9
- Fort Payne, AL R+63
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.