61616 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 14 points: about 57% of voters vote Democratic and 43% Republican.
About 70% of adults in 61616 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61616, ~40% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61616 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61616 leans more Democratic than 19 of 26 neighbors.
Politically, 61616 sits close to the rest of Illinois.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61616. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+19) and the west side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+3), a spread of about 16 points.
Why 61616 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 61616, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 77% of residents in 61616 live in densely developed areas, about 41 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in 61616 have never been married, above 87% of zip codes.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; 61616, 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 61616 looks the way it does
Turnout in 61616 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.