61516 is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 72% of adults in 61516 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61516, ~16% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61516 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61516 leans more Republican than 13 of 15 neighbors.
61516 runs about 68 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61516 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 61516 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 61516, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 61516, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the Illinois average of 27%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 61516 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 6%, below 75% of zip codes). 61516 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; 61516, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 61516 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 96% of households in 61516 own their home, about 16 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 61516 have completed high school, above 83% 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.