Gilson leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Gilson typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gilson, ~24% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gilson compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gilson leans more Republican than 34 of 61 neighbors.
Gilson runs about 52 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Gilson is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Gilson. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+50) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 21 points.
Why Gilson 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 Gilson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Gilson votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Gilson runs about 52 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Gilson drive to work alone, above 81% of cities.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Gilson, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Gilson looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Gilson have completed high school, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Knoxville, IL R+26
- Maquon, IL R+45
- East Galesburg, IL R+16
- Abingdon, IL R+32
- Galesburg, IL D+4
- Dahinda, IL R+36
- London Mills, IL R+46
- Rapatee, IL R+42
- St. Augustine, IL R+45
- Elba Center, IL R+48
Cities with Similar Populations
- Kerby, OR R+29
- Shady Grove, PA R+61
- Garfield, KY R+64
- Puposky, MN R+20
- East Eddington, ME R+15
- Levan, UT R+82
- Cawood, KY R+77
- Mildred, TX R+68
- Friesland, WI R+43
- Lafayette Springs, MS R+46
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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.