Cairo leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 69% of adults in Cairo typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cairo, ~49% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cairo compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Cairo is the most Democratic-leaning.
Cairo runs about 31 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Cairo. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+65) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+55), a spread of about 120 points.
Why Cairo 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 Cairo, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 35% of residents in Cairo live in densely developed areas, above 82% of cities. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 40% of adults in Cairo have never been married, above 93% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Cairo, 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 Cairo looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Cairo sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mound City, IL D+7
- Wyatt, MO R+42
- Wickliffe, KY R+65
- Mounds, IL D+27
- Spencer Heights, IL D+22
- Barlow, KY R+65
- North Mounds, IL Even
- Villa Ridge, IL R+39
- Lusk, MO R+61
Cities with Similar Populations
- Bucyrus, KS R+33
- Scarbro, WV R+51
- Richland, IN R+52
- Superior, MT R+54
- Lakeland, MN Even
- Paint Lick, KY R+54
- Bristow, VA R+23
- Philadelphia, NY R+40
- Conklin, MI R+48
- Fountain City, IN R+53
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.