Hancock County leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Hancock County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hancock County, ~21% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hancock County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Hancock County leans more Republican than 10 of 14 neighbors.
Hancock County runs about 56 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Hancock County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Hancock County. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+33), a spread of about 30 points.
Why Hancock 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 Hancock County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 84% of residents in Hancock County drive to work alone, about 10 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Hancock County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Hancock County, IL sits above the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Hancock County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 82% of households in Hancock County own their home, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Hancock County have completed high school, above 82% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Lee County, IA R+27
- Clark County, MO R+60
- McDonough County, IL R+11
- Des Moines County, IA R+8
- Henderson County, IL R+41
- Lewis County, MO R+59
- Adams County, IL R+40
- Schuyler County, IL R+44
- Brown County, IL R+39
- Henry County, IA R+31
Counties with Similar Populations
- Seward County, NE R+52
- Patrick County, VA R+58
- Burleson County, TX R+53
- Pike County, MO R+55
- Polk County, TN R+72
- Dickinson County, IA R+34
- Winston County, MS R+10
- Eastland County, TX R+67
- Delaware County, IA R+39
- Lee County, TX R+52
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.