Essex leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 78% of adults in Essex typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Essex, ~20% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Essex compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Essex leans more Republican than 43 of 70 neighbors.
Essex runs about 58 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Essex is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Essex 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 Essex, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Essex votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Essex runs about 58 points more Republican.
Renting and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Essex, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Essex looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 92% of households in Essex own their home, about 13 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Essex have completed high school, above 87% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Union Hill, IL R+50
- South Wilmington, IL R+39
- Godley, IL R+40
- Ritchie, IL R+48
- Reddick, IL R+49
- Braceville, IL R+31
- Bonfield, IL R+50
- Braidwood, IL R+32
- Lakewood Shores, IL R+47
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dunkirk, OH R+59
- Olivehill, TN R+76
- Pilot Hill, CA R+22
- Fort Duchesne, UT R+29
- Ballard, UT R+71
- Tidwell, TN R+58
- Roscoe, NY R+18
- Burnett, WI R+45
- Chetopa, KS R+61
- Cool Valley, MO D+75
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.