61251 leans heavily Republican by roughly 50 points: about 25% of voters vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 86% of adults in 61251 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61251, ~21% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61251 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61251 is the most Republican-leaning.
61251 runs about 60 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61251 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 61251 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 61251, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 90% of residents in 61251 drive to work alone, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 79% of households in 61251 are family households, above 90% of zip codes. 61251 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 61251, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 61251 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 92% of households in 61251 own their home, about 12 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 61251 have completed high school, above 94% 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.