East Side leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 44% of adults in East Side typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in East Side, ~29% vote Democratic, ~15% Republican, and ~56% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How East Side compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, East Side leans more Democratic than 2 of 16 neighbors.
East Side runs about 22 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within East Side. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+41) and the southeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+23), a spread of about 17 points.
Why East Side leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in East Side. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; East Side, Chicago, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in East Side looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. East Side is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 27%, about 18 points above the Illinois average of 8%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 33% of adults in East Side report food insecurity, above 86% of neighborhoods. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 77% of adults in East Side have completed high school, below 89% of neighborhoods. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Chevy Chase, Washington, DC D+79
- Westside-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA D+52
- Tribeca, Manhattan, NY D+64
- Hollis, Queens, NY D+49
- Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA D+52
- Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, CA D+44
- Eldridge-West Oaks, Houston, TX D+34
- Sommerset West-Elmonica South, Hillsboro, OR D+44
- Ukrainian Village, Chicago, IL D+72
- Bay Terraces, San Diego, CA D+20
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.