62850 is a Republican stronghold. About 11% of voters here vote Democratic and 89% Republican.
About 60% of adults in 62850 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 62850, ~7% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 62850 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 62850 is the most Republican-leaning.
62850 runs about 88 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while 62850 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 62850 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 62850, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 62850, about 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 17 points below the Illinois average of 27%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 81% of households in 62850 are family households, above 93% of zip codes. 62850 runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 62850, IL sits in the bottom 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 62850 looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 15% of homes in 62850 have more than one occupant per room, above 98% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 73% of adults in 62850 have completed high school, below 97% 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.