61537 leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 95% of adults in 61537 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61537, ~32% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~5% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61537 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61537 leans more Republican than 6 of 16 neighbors.
61537 runs about 43 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61537 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61537. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+47) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 18 points.
Why 61537 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 61537, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in 61537 drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. 61537 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 61537, IL sits above the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 61537 looks the way it does
Turnout in 61537 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.