Albany leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 97% of adults in Albany typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Albany, ~30% vote Democratic, ~67% Republican, and ~3% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Albany compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Albany leans more Republican than 42 of 75 neighbors.
Albany runs about 48 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Albany is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Albany. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+52) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 19 points.
Why Albany leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Albany, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Albany votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Albany runs about 48 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Albany runs against that pattern.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Albany, 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 Albany looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 91% of households in Albany own their home, about 11 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Albany have completed high school, above 80% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Camanche, IA R+33
- Garden Plain, IL R+43
- Shaffton, IA R+34
- Clinton, IA R+8
- Fulton, IL R+27
- Fenton, IL R+50
- Folletts, IA R+40
- Cordova, IL R+30
- Low Moor, IA R+44
- Lyons, IA R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- San Jacinto, TX R+56
- Nauvoo, IL R+42
- North Prairie, MN R+58
- Canton, ME R+32
- Kimmell, IN R+60
- Vicco, KY R+64
- Danville, GA R+48
- Wickes, AR R+66
- Spaulding, IL R+34
- New Lyme, OH R+44
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.