Independence is a Republican stronghold. About 16% of voters here vote Democratic and 84% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Independence typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Independence, ~12% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Independence compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Independence leans more Republican than 53 of 63 neighbors.
Independence runs about 79 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Independence is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Independence 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 Independence, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Independence, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the Illinois average of 27%. Rural areas vote Republican, and Independence sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 79% of cities). Independence runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Independence, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Independence looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 92% of households in Independence own their home, about 13 points above the Illinois average of 80%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Martinsburg, IL R+69
- Time, IL R+67
- Pittsfield, IL R+44
- Summer Hill, IL R+70
- New Hartford, IL R+67
- Nebo, IL R+68
- Milton, IL R+69
- Detroit, IL R+64
- Pleasant Hill, IL R+67
- Pearl, IL R+69
Cities with Similar Populations
- Yellow Rock, KY R+66
- Youngs, MS R+42
- Timpas, CO R+38
- Ridgeview, IN R+45
- Cascade-Chipita Park, CO D+3
- Savah, IN R+50
- Beverly, KY R+73
- Tippecanoe, PA R+48
- Monticello, NM R+38
- Payne, MN R+11
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.