61517 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 89% of adults in 61517 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61517, ~28% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~11% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61517 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61517 leans more Republican than 17 of 21 neighbors.
61517 runs about 47 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61517 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 61517 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 61517, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
61517 votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61517 runs about 47 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 77% of households in 61517 are family households, above 86% of zip codes.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 61517, IL sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in 61517 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 61517 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 88% of households in 61517 own their home, above 82% 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.