62281 leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 87% of adults in 62281 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 62281, ~26% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~13% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 62281 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 62281 leans more Republican than 15 of 22 neighbors.
62281 runs about 50 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 62281 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 62281. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+28), a spread of about 16 points.
Why 62281 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 62281, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
62281 votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 62281 runs about 50 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 83% of residents in 62281 drive to work alone, above 81% of zip codes. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 62281 are family households, above 81% of zip codes.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; 62281, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 62281 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 62281 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 89% of households in 62281 own their home, above 84% of zip codes. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 62281 have completed high school, above 85% 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.