61520 leans Republican by roughly 20 points: about 40% of voters vote Democratic and 60% Republican.
About 63% of adults in 61520 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61520, ~25% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61520 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61520 is the least Republican-leaning.
61520 runs about 30 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61520 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61520. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+40) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+9), a spread of about 32 points.
Why 61520 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 61520, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in 61520 drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%. 61520 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 61520, IL sits above the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in 61520 looks the way it does
Turnout in 61520 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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.