Buena Vista leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 95% of adults in Buena Vista typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buena Vista, ~26% vote Democratic, ~69% Republican, and ~5% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Buena Vista compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Buena Vista leans more Republican than 52 of 59 neighbors.
Buena Vista runs about 56 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Buena Vista is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Buena Vista votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Buena Vista runs about 56 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Buena Vista, IL sits in the top quarter nationally 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 Buena Vista looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. More than 99% of households in Buena Vista own their home, about 20 points above the Illinois average of 80%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Red Oak, IL R+45
- Orangeville, IL R+43
- Mc Connell, IL R+47
- Cedarville, IL R+37
- Scioto Mills, IL R+37
- Winslow, IL R+49
- Dakota, IL R+44
- Lena, IL R+43
- Eleroy, IL R+41
- Rock Grove, IL R+44
Cities with Similar Populations
- Monmouth, KS R+60
- Kohatk, AZ D+38
- Koszta, IA R+46
- Texas, KY R+64
- Panco, KY R+81
- Goldbond, VA R+54
- Curran, WI R+46
- Cundiyo, NM D+30
- Palisades, WA R+53
- Lemert, OH R+68
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.