61602 leans heavily Democratic by roughly 46 points: about 73% of voters vote Democratic and 27% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 61602 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61602, ~34% vote Democratic, ~13% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61602 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61602 leans more Democratic than 24 of 27 neighbors.
61602 runs about 36 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61602. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+59) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+41), a spread of about 18 points.
Why 61602 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 61602, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 87% of residents in 61602 live in densely developed areas, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 66% of adults in 61602 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 61602, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 61602 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 61602 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 40%, about 23 points below the Illinois average of 63%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 76% of households in 61602 rent, compared to around 33% in nearby zip codes. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 41% of adults in 61602 report food insecurity, above 98% 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.