Buncombe is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Buncombe typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Buncombe, ~14% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Buncombe compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Buncombe leans more Republican than 52 of 83 neighbors.
Buncombe runs about 69 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Buncombe is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Buncombe 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 Buncombe, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Buncombe votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Buncombe runs about 69 points more Republican.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Buncombe, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Buncombe looks the way it does
Turnout in Buncombe sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elvira, IL R+54
- Mount Pleasant, IL R+59
- Lick Creek, IL R+53
- Boles, IL R+58
- Cypress, IL R+59
- Vienna, IL R+53
- Goreville, IL R+52
- Saratoga, IL R+50
- Perks, IL R+59
- Tunnel Hill, IL R+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Stevenson, MD D+40
- Lorine, AR R+63
- Grays Chapel, NC R+63
- Miles Crossing, OR R+31
- West Sumpter, MI R+17
- Wiley, MI R+27
- Kelly, LA R+93
- Lerado, OH R+64
- Chalmers, IN R+52
- Maynard, IA R+44
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.