Gateway to the Missouri Ozarks, where rural realignment runs deep
Anchored by Butler County, the Poplar Bluff metro has shifted decisively toward Republican margins over the past two decades, reflecting broader trends across Ozark-border small cities with manufacturing and timber economies.
| Group | Poplar Bluff, MO | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 89.3% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(5) | 5.0% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.0% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(5) | 1.7% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(4) | 0.5% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(2) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -70.6pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.4% | 73.9% | — | — | |
| 3.6% | 9.1% | — | — | |
| 3.1% | 7.7% | — | — | |
| 1.9% | 4.8% | — | — | |
| 1.8% | 4.5% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.1% | 2.8% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 60.2% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Poplar Bluff, MO metro area? 167,067 residents across 4 counties.
14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 19pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+28 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+63.1 | R+65.9 | 2.9pp |
| President vs Governor | R+63.8 | R+65.9 | 2.2pp |
| President vs Senate | R+63.8 | R+63.1 | 0.7pp |