Champaign County leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Champaign County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Champaign County, ~42% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Champaign County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Champaign County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Champaign County runs about 18 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Champaign County. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+39) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+18), a spread of about 57 points.
Why Champaign County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Champaign County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 47% of adults in Champaign County hold a bachelor's degree, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Champaign County sits in the top fifth on density (about 73%, above 92% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 46% of adults in Champaign County have never been married, above 98% of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Champaign County, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Champaign County looks the way it does
Turnout in Champaign County 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 Counties
- Piatt County, IL R+35
- Douglas County, IL R+48
- Ford County, IL R+40
- Vermilion County, IL R+22
- De Witt County, IL R+43
- Moultrie County, IL R+54
- Macon County, IL R+8
- Edgar County, IL R+50
- Coles County, IL R+26
- McLean County, IL D+5
Counties with Similar Populations
- Richmond County, GA D+41
- Benton County, WA R+21
- Muscogee County, GA D+25
- Elkhart County, IN R+28
- Onslow County, NC R+23
- Yuma County, AZ R+8
- Anderson County, SC R+43
- Hall County, GA R+32
- Clermont County, OH R+37
- Harrison County, MS R+18
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.