61281 leans Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 85% of adults in 61281 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61281, ~30% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61281 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61281 leans more Republican than 9 of 23 neighbors.
61281 runs about 40 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61281 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 61281 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 61281, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in 61281 drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 61281 are family households, above 79% of zip codes. 61281 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 61281, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 61281 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in 61281 own their home, about 15 points above the Illinois average of 80%. 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.