Benson is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Benson typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Benson, ~16% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Benson compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Benson leans more Republican than 66 of 70 neighbors.
Benson runs about 68 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Benson is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Benson 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 Benson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Benson, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 9 points below the Illinois average of 27%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Benson drive to work alone, above 81% of cities. Benson runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density, never-married share, and Republican lean
Places that combine low population density and a never-married-heavy adult population tend to lean Republican, as Benson, IL does.
Why turnout in Benson looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 96% of households in Benson own their home, about 17 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Benson have completed high school, above 82% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Woodford, IL R+53
- Roanoke, IL R+60
- Minonk, IL R+43
- Panola, IL R+53
- Secor, IL R+54
- La Rose, IL R+46
- Enright, IL R+52
- Rutland, IL R+45
- Washburn, IL R+43
- Toluca, IL R+34
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dover, KS R+46
- Lynnville, KY R+66
- Hickman, TN R+64
- Papa, HI D+14
- Cochecton, NY R+7
- West Point, OH R+60
- Woodrow, MN R+54
- Shoto, WI R+31
- Rushville, MO R+59
- Woxhall, PA R+25
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.