Belknap is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Belknap typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Belknap, ~13% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Belknap compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Belknap leans more Republican than 67 of 83 neighbors.
Belknap runs about 72 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Belknap is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Belknap. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+68) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+57), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Belknap 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 Belknap, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Belknap votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Belknap runs about 72 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Belknap drive to work alone, above 81% of cities.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Belknap, IL sits above the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Belknap looks the way it does
Turnout in Belknap sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mermet, IL R+64
- Karnak, IL R+62
- Hillerman, IL R+59
- New Columbia, IL R+68
- Grand Chain, IL R+61
- Vienna, IL R+53
- Grantsburg, IL R+47
Cities with Similar Populations
- Fort McDermitt, NV R+15
- Orangeburg, KY R+61
- Dryburg, VA R+29
- Roaring Springs, TX R+90
- Maysville, IN R+64
- Washington, MA D+17
- Topsey, TX R+65
- Warm Springs, AR R+72
- Shelly, MN R+42
- Shelby, TX R+71
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.