61101 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 36 points: about 68% of voters vote Democratic and 32% Republican.
About 50% of adults in 61101 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61101, ~34% vote Democratic, ~16% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61101 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61101 is the most Democratic-leaning.
61101 runs about 25 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61101. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+66) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+25), a spread of about 91 points.
Why 61101 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 61101, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 81% of residents in 61101 live in densely developed areas, about 45 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 41% of adults in 61101 have never been married, above 89% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; 61101, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 61101 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 61101 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 47%, about 15 points below the Illinois average of 63%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 47% of households in 61101 rent, about 22 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 36% of adults in 61101 report food insecurity, above 97% 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.