61201 leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 60% of adults in 61201 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61201, ~38% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61201 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61201 leans more Democratic than 30 of 31 neighbors.
61201 runs about 18 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61201. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+67) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+16), a spread of about 50 points.
Why 61201 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 61201, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 89% of residents in 61201 live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 61201 have never been married, above 88% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 61201, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 61201 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 34% of households in 61201 rent, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 61201 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 22% of adults in 61201 report food insecurity, above 84% 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.