Elco is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Elco typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Elco, ~17% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Elco compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Elco leans more Republican than 34 of 73 neighbors.
Elco runs about 66 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Elco is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Elco. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+55) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+42), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Elco 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 Elco, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in Elco live in densely developed areas, about 28 points below the Illinois average of 33%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Elco fits that profile on both counts. Elco runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Elco, IL sits in the bottom quarter 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 Elco looks the way it does
Turnout in Elco sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mill Creek, IL R+54
- Tamms, IL R+26
- Reynoldsville, IL R+56
- Ullin, IL R+33
- Wetaug, IL R+44
- Gale, IL R+54
- Pulaski, IL R+22
- McClure, IL R+53
- Dongola, IL R+55
- Balcom, IL R+56
Cities with Similar Populations
- Shandon, OH R+62
- Lone Cedar, TX R+72
- Somers, IA R+57
- Linlithgo, NY Even
- Heartwell, NE R+64
- Bent, NM R+27
- Elsmore, KS R+57
- Little Venice, MI R+38
- North Plato, IL R+23
- Leesville, NY R+34
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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.