Bushnell leans heavily Republican by roughly 38 points: about 31% of voters vote Democratic and 69% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Bushnell typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Bushnell, ~24% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Bushnell compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Bushnell leans more Republican than 6 of 55 neighbors.
Bushnell runs about 49 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Bushnell is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Bushnell. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+33), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Bushnell 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 Bushnell, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Bushnell votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 33%, above 82% of cities). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Bushnell fits that profile on both counts. Bushnell runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Bushnell, IL sits in the top 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 Bushnell looks the way it does
Turnout in Bushnell sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Prairie City, IL R+55
- Bardolph, IL R+48
- New Philadelphia, IL R+50
- Marietta, IL R+50
- Avon, IL R+44
- Walnut Grove, IL R+50
- Good Hope, IL R+49
- Checkrow, IL R+45
- Youngstown, IL R+48
- Greenbush, IL R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Epworth, IA R+36
- Bryant, AL R+82
- Felicity, OH R+62
- Great Neck Estates, NY R+38
- Solsberry, IN R+51
- Wynnewood, OK R+60
- Beech Bluff, TN R+69
- Cooper, TX R+63
- Kenansville, NC R+14
- Girard, IL R+42
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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.