DeKalb leans Democratic by roughly 28 points: about 64% of voters vote Democratic and 36% Republican.
About 56% of adults in DeKalb typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in DeKalb, ~36% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How DeKalb compares
Among cities within 25 miles, DeKalb is the most Democratic-leaning.
DeKalb runs about 17 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within DeKalb. The northwest side runs the most Democratic (D+47) and the southeast side runs the most Republican (R+10), a spread of about 57 points.
Why DeKalb 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 DeKalb, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 80% of residents in DeKalb live in densely developed areas, about 44 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and DeKalb sits in the top quarter (about 35%, above 81% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 56% of adults in DeKalb have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; DeKalb, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in DeKalb looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 57% of households in DeKalb rent, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and DeKalb sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in DeKalb report food insecurity, above 90% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Cortland, IL R+7
- Elva, IL R+15
- Sycamore, IL Even
- Malta, IL R+32
- Clare, IL R+32
- Maple Park, IL R+29
- Richardson, IL R+33
- Virgil, IL R+32
- Troxel, IL R+32
- Creston, IL R+29
Cities with Similar Populations
- Catonsville, MD D+34
- Orange, TX R+44
- Monrovia, CA D+27
- East Stroudsburg, PA D+12
- Midlothian, TX R+42
- Perrysburg, OH R+7
- Levittown, NY R+21
- Romeoville, IL D+15
- Wooster, OH R+24
- Milton, GA Even
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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.