Dow leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Dow typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Dow, ~22% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Dow compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Dow leans more Republican than 82 of 131 neighbors.
Dow runs about 47 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Dow is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Dow. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+43) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+30), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Dow 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 Dow, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dow votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Dow runs about 47 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Dow, IL sits in the bottom quarter 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 Dow looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Dow have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elsah, IL R+32
- McClusky, IL R+49
- Portage Des Sioux, MO R+56
- Grafton, IL R+39
- Otterville, IL R+51
- Godfrey, IL R+18
- Jerseyville, IL R+43
- West Alton, MO R+52
- Orchard Farm, MO R+57
- Brighton, IL R+47
Cities with Similar Populations
- Petersburg, PA R+58
- Montezuma, KS R+71
- Hector, AR R+69
- Bannockburn, IL D+26
- Mayesville, SC D+19
- Hill City, MN R+37
- Doyle, TN R+71
- Fort Thompson, SD D+30
- Palm Valley, TX R+23
- Bois D Arc, MO R+63
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.