Fulton County leans heavily Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Fulton County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Fulton County, ~24% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Fulton County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Fulton County leans more Republican than 6 of 13 neighbors.
Fulton County runs about 42 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Fulton County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Fulton County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 33 points.
Why Fulton 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 Fulton County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Fulton County votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Fulton County runs about 42 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 82% of residents in Fulton County drive to work alone, above 82% of counties. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Fulton County fits that profile on both counts.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Fulton County, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Fulton County looks the way it does
Turnout in Fulton 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
- Mason County, IL R+46
- McDonough County, IL R+11
- Peoria County, IL D+14
- Knox County, IL R+9
- Tazewell County, IL R+29
- Schuyler County, IL R+44
- Warren County, IL R+22
- Cass County, IL R+31
- Menard County, IL R+41
- Stark County, IL R+47
Counties with Similar Populations
- Botetourt County, VA R+45
- Stark County, ND R+53
- Lee County, IA R+27
- Wexford County, MI R+33
- Lumpkin County, GA R+46
- Marshall County, MS R+3
- Lincoln County, OK R+64
- Petersburg City, VA D+71
- Wakulla County, FL R+46
- Pulaski County, VA R+43
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.