Dakota leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Dakota typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dakota, ~23% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dakota compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dakota leans more Republican than 46 of 59 neighbors.
Dakota runs about 55 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Dakota is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Dakota 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 Dakota, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dakota votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Dakota runs about 55 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Dakota, IL sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Dakota looks the way it does
Turnout in Dakota 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
- Winneshiek, IL R+43
- Rock City, IL R+42
- Cedarville, IL R+37
- Rock Grove, IL R+44
- Red Oak, IL R+45
- Orangeville, IL R+43
- Buena Vista, IL R+45
- Scioto Mills, IL R+37
- Davis, IL R+29
- Ridott, IL R+44
Cities with Similar Populations
- Nipinnawasee, CA R+25
- Williamsville, MI R+29
- Highland, AR R+60
- Mellen, WI R+25
- Golden, MO R+57
- Buckner, LA R+78
- Hebron, TN D+9
- Sunset, GA R+60
- Brownstown, IL R+67
- Spicer, OR R+46
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.