Forrest leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 82% of adults in Forrest typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Forrest, ~21% vote Democratic, ~60% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Forrest compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Forrest leans more Republican than 13 of 51 neighbors.
Forrest runs about 58 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Forrest is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Forrest. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+61) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+39), a spread of about 22 points.
Why Forrest 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 Forrest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Forrest votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Forrest runs about 58 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Forrest runs against that pattern.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Forrest, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Forrest looks the way it does
Turnout in Forrest 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 Cities
- Wing, IL R+55
- Fairbury, IL R+41
- Chatsworth, IL R+58
- Strawn, IL R+63
- Saunemin, IL R+57
- Cropsey, IL R+56
- Weston, IL R+52
- McDowell, IL R+54
- Scovel, IL R+56
- Piper City, IL R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Husum, WA D+15
- Lebec, CA R+32
- Fairplay, MD R+43
- Paradis, LA R+65
- Cross Plains, TX R+76
- Kilmichael, MS R+12
- Springbrook, WI R+39
- Padelford, NY R+8
- Pueblo Of Acoma, NM D+63
- Spurger, TX R+84
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.