Cleveland leans Republican by roughly 26 points: about 37% of voters vote Democratic and 63% Republican.
About 93% of adults in Cleveland typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Cleveland, ~34% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~8% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Cleveland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Cleveland leans more Republican than 26 of 75 neighbors.
Cleveland runs about 38 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Cleveland is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Cleveland 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 Cleveland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Cleveland votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Cleveland runs about 38 points more Republican.
Renting and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Cleveland, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Cleveland looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 98% of households in Cleveland own their home, about 19 points above the Illinois average of 80%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Colona, IL R+23
- Barstow, IL R+22
- Green Rock, IL R+21
- Green River, IL R+28
- Osborn, IL R+24
- Carbon Cliff, IL Even
- Rapids City, IL R+25
- Silvis, IL D+9
- Hampton, IL Even
- East Moline, IL D+17
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sand Run, WV R+66
- Portland, FL R+52
- Rufus, OR R+56
- Warner, IL R+33
- Green Acres, IL R+35
- Glover Hill, TN R+63
- Indian Creek, TX R+80
- Bellefontaine, MS R+73
- Pea Ridge, MO R+66
- Jonathan, ID R+60
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.