61849 leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 84% of adults in 61849 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61849, ~26% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61849 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61849 leans more Republican than 5 of 17 neighbors.
61849 runs about 49 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61849 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61849. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 29 points.
Why 61849 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 61849, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 88% of residents in 61849 drive to work alone, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 61849 fits that profile on both counts. 61849 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 61849, IL sits above the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 61849 looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in 61849 have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. 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.