61863 leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 81% of adults in 61863 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 61863, ~24% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 61863 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 61863 leans more Republican than 11 of 19 neighbors.
61863 runs about 50 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61863 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 61863. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+48) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+37), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 61863 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 61863, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
61863 votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 61863 runs about 50 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 84% of residents in 61863 drive to work alone, above 83% of zip codes. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 77% of households in 61863 are family households, above 85% of zip codes.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 61863, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 61863 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 61863 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 70%, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 61863 have completed high school, above 92% 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.