Hillcrest leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 62% of adults in Hillcrest typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hillcrest, ~26% vote Democratic, ~36% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hillcrest compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Hillcrest leans more Republican than 8 of 63 neighbors.
Hillcrest runs about 28 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Hillcrest is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Hillcrest. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+28) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+14), a spread of about 14 points.
Why Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Hillcrest votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 76%, far above the Illinois average of 33%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Hillcrest runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with low colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Hillcrest, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Hillcrest looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 4% of homes in Hillcrest have more than one occupant per room, above 82% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Rochelle, IL R+18
- Flagg Center, IL R+33
- Creston, IL R+29
- Paynes Point, IL R+40
- Lindenwood, IL R+41
- White Rock, IL R+37
- Chana, IL R+39
- Holcomb, IL R+34
- Esmond, IL R+39
- Steward, IL R+44
Cities with Similar Populations
- Dickerson, MD D+15
- Karnack, TX R+42
- Whittaker, MI R+12
- Grantsboro, NC R+54
- Marydel, MD R+48
- Campbellsburg, IN R+64
- Clay City, IL R+70
- Oakland, IL R+53
- Wurtland, KY R+52
- Genoa, NV R+31
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.