| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 311 | 1,479 | 1,810 | |
| 2020 | R | 340 | 1,486 | 1,856 | |
| 2016 | R | 379 | 1,416 | 1,870 | |
| 2012 | R | 698 | 1,205 | 1,957 | |
| 2008 | R | 759 | 1,212 | 2,024 | |
| 2004 | R | 761 | 1,207 | 1,978 | |
| 2000 | R | 787 | 1,226 | 2,055 | |
| 1996 | D | 891 | 862 | 2,021 | |
| 1992 | D | 1,010 | 724 | 2,262 | |
| 1988 | D | 1,255 | 1,212 | 2,472 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,097 | 1,513 | 2,610 | |
| 1980 | R | 1,187 | 1,475 | 2,710 | |
| 1976 | D | 1,319 | 1,216 | 2,556 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,031 | 1,896 | 2,927 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,257 | 1,562 | 3,169 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,085 | 1,305 | 3,390 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,796 | 1,874 | 3,670 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,850 | 1,934 | 3,784 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,988 | 2,229 | 4,224 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,268 | 1,620 | 3,889 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,943 | 2,057 | 4,008 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,594 | 2,370 | 4,983 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,030 | 2,134 | 5,193 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,045 | 1,465 | 4,562 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,213 | 2,628 | 4,848 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,722 | 2,288 | 5,220 | |
| 1920 | R | 2,250 | 2,749 | 5,061 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,657 | 1,460 | 3,180 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,666 | 1,092 | 3,144 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,652 | 1,339 | 3,063 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,527 | 1,321 | 2,926 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,908 | 1,344 | 3,330 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,185 | 1,246 | 3,466 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,472 | 968 | 3,054 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Knox County's R+64.5 margin in 2024 reflects a broader rural Missouri pattern: a sparse, aging agricultural population that has shifted decisively away from its historically competitive roots over the past two decades.
The Democratic margin in Knox County peaked at thirty-five points in 1932. By 2000 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was sixty-five points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Knox County's median household income of $57,788 sits well below state and national norms, and 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Worth County and Daviess County.