Effingham County is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Effingham County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Effingham County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Effingham County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Effingham County leans more Republican than 9 of 15 neighbors.
Effingham County runs about 66 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Effingham County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Effingham County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+49), a spread of about 26 points.
Why Effingham County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Effingham County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Effingham County votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Effingham County runs about 66 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Effingham County, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Effingham County looks the way it does
Turnout in Effingham County 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 Counties
- Cumberland County, IL R+60
- Jasper County, IL R+61
- Shelby County, IL R+58
- Fayette County, IL R+59
- Clay County, IL R+63
- Coles County, IL R+26
- Richland County, IL R+50
- Moultrie County, IL R+54
- Marion County, IL R+47
- Crawford County, IL R+50
Counties with Similar Populations
- Harris County, GA R+45
- Lincoln County, NE R+46
- Clark County, WI R+43
- Alcorn County, MS R+59
- Chambers County, AL R+13
- Cowley County, KS R+38
- Wasatch County, UT R+33
- Barry County, MO R+62
- Taos County, NM D+42
- Howard County, TX R+50
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.