DeSoto leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 62% of adults in DeSoto typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in DeSoto, ~19% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~37% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How DeSoto compares
Among cities within 25 miles, DeSoto leans more Republican than 13 of 83 neighbors.
DeSoto runs about 51 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while DeSoto is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within DeSoto. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+51) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+9), a spread of about 41 points.
Why DeSoto 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 DeSoto, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
DeSoto votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while DeSoto runs about 51 points more Republican.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; DeSoto, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in DeSoto looks the way it does
Turnout in DeSoto 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
- Reeds Station, IL R+13
- Hurst, IL R+50
- Bush, IL R+50
- Cambria, IL R+34
- Hallidayboro, IL R+56
- Carbondale, IL D+36
- Harrison, IL R+44
- Crab Orchard Estates, IL R+21
- Elkville, IL R+56
- Colp, IL R+43
Cities with Similar Populations
- McClellanville, SC D+9
- Branchland, WV R+66
- Mason, TX R+50
- Central Lake, MI R+21
- Weston, OH R+44
- Kemmerer, WY R+61
- Lonaconing, MD R+59
- Irvington, KY R+51
- Bradyville, TN R+74
- Syracuse, NE 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.