Athens leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Athens typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Athens, ~26% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Athens compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Athens leans more Republican than 26 of 64 neighbors.
Athens runs about 53 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Athens is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Athens. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+37), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Athens 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 Athens, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Athens votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Athens runs about 53 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Athens, 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 Athens looks the way it does
Turnout in Athens sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Cantrall, IL R+38
- Tice, IL R+48
- Salisbury, IL R+38
- Green Acres, IL R+35
- Sweet Water, IL R+56
- Petersburg, IL R+32
- Fancy Prairie, IL R+50
- Archer, IL R+27
- Greenview, IL R+51
- Sherman, IL R+25
Cities with Similar Populations
- Osgood, IN R+62
- Shepherd, MT R+62
- George West, TX R+54
- St. Leo, FL R+15
- Campton, KY R+56
- Falconer, NY R+29
- Gunnison, UT R+64
- Howards Grove, WI R+35
- Palmyra, WI R+31
- Willis, MI R+13
All Local Stats
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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.