60609 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 40% of adults in 60609 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 60609, ~28% vote Democratic, ~12% Republican, and ~60% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 60609 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 60609 leans more Democratic than 53 of 114 neighbors.
60609 runs about 32 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 60609. The southeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+70) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+21), a spread of about 48 points.
Why 60609 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 60609, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 60609 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 47% of adults in 60609 have never been married, above 93% of zip codes.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 60609, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 60609 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 60609 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 46%, about 17 points below the Illinois average of 63%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 57% of households in 60609 rent, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 38% of adults in 60609 report food insecurity, above 98% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois State Board of 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.