Fayette County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Fayette County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Fayette County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~56% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Fayette County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Fayette County leans more Republican than 11 of 14 neighbors.
Fayette County runs about 70 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Fayette County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Fayette County. The north side is the most Republican-leaning (R+72) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+50), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Fayette 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 Fayette County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Fayette County votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Fayette County runs about 70 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Fayette County sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 89% of counties).
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Fayette County, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Fayette County looks the way it does
Turnout in Fayette 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
- Bond County, IL R+39
- Effingham County, IL R+56
- Marion County, IL R+47
- Montgomery County, IL R+44
- Shelby County, IL R+58
- Clay County, IL R+63
- Clinton County, IL R+47
- Christian County, IL R+45
- Cumberland County, IL R+60
- Jasper County, IL R+61
Counties with Similar Populations
- Jersey County, IL R+44
- Sevier County, UT R+70
- Logan County, CO R+50
- Clark County, AR R+18
- Hockley County, TX R+63
- Letcher County, KY R+65
- Hertford County, NC D+25
- Scott County, VA R+70
- Dakota County, NE R+15
- Coahoma County, MS D+51
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.