Chicago leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 65% of adults in the Chicago area typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in the Chicago area, ~42% vote Democratic, ~23% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Chicago compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Chicago leans more Democratic than 93 of 148 neighbors.
Chicago runs about 19 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Chicago. The east side runs the most Democratic (D+64) and the south side runs the most Republican (R+3), a spread of about 67 points.
Why Chicago 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 Chicago, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 89% of residents in the Chicago area live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Chicago sits in the top quarter (about 41%, above 88% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 37% of adults in the Chicago area have never been married, above 91% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Chicago, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Chicago looks the way it does
Turnout in the Chicago area 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
- Cicero, IL D+34
- Oak Park, IL D+78
- Berwyn, IL D+37
- Stickney, IL D+16
- Forest Park, IL D+67
- Forest View, IL R+14
- River Forest, IL D+55
- Riverside, IL D+39
- Elmwood Park, IL D+19
- North Riverside, IL D+18
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dallas, TX D+3
- Houston, TX D+3
- Washington, DC D+43
- Philadelphia, PA D+27
- Miami, FL D+4
- Atlanta, GA D+19
- Los Angeles, CA D+26
- Boston, MA D+30
- Phoenix, AZ Even
- San Francisco, CA D+48
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.