Highwood, IL Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in Highwood

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

Highwood leans heavily Democratic by roughly 34 points: about 67% of voters vote Democratic and 33% Republican.

 

About 59% of adults in Highwood typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Highwood, ~39% vote Democratic, ~20% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How Highwood compares

Among cities within 25 miles, Highwood leans more Democratic than 108 of 130 neighbors.

Highwood runs about 23 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Highwood. The northeast side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+43) and the north side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+28), a spread of about 15 points.

Why Highwood 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 Highwood, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 98% of residents in Highwood live in densely developed areas, about 62 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Highwood sits in the top quarter (about 42%, above 89% of cities).

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Highwood, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.

Why turnout in Highwood looks the way it does

Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Highwood is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 42% of households in Highwood rent, compared to around 15% in nearby cities. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 6% of homes in Highwood have more than one occupant per room, above 92% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.

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.