Chatham is a Democratic stronghold. About 92% of voters here vote Democratic and 8% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Chatham typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Chatham, ~59% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chatham compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Chatham leans more Democratic than 32 of 36 neighbors.
Chatham runs about 74 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Why Chatham leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Chatham, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Chatham live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 52% of adults in Chatham have never been married, above 85% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Chatham, Chicago, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Chatham looks the way it does
Turnout in Chatham 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 Neighborhoods
- Avalon Highlands, Chicago, IL D+84
- Italian Bowery, Chicago, IL D+82
- Avalon Park, Chicago, IL D+86
- Auburn Park, Chicago, IL D+82
- Grand Crossing, Chicago, IL D+82
- Chester Highlands, Chicago, IL D+83
- Essex, Chicago, IL D+82
- Calumet Heights, Chicago, IL D+85
- Auburn Gresham, Chicago, IL D+84
- Brainerd, Chicago, IL D+84
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Merrlam Park, St. Paul, MN D+65
- South Southwest, San Antonio, TX D+21
- Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY D+75
- Alden Bridge, The Woodlands, TX R+24
- Jefferson, Cleveland, OH D+23
- Westside, Santa Cruz, CA D+73
- Park Forest-Louisiana North, Baton Rouge, LA D+45
- Bellerose, Queens, NY D+7
- Southeast Yonkers, Yonkers, NY D+11
- Cascade Heights, Atlanta, GA D+87
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.