Jackson County leans slightly Democratic by roughly 8 points: about 54% of voters vote Democratic and 46% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Jackson County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Jackson County, ~33% vote Democratic, ~28% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Jackson County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Jackson County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Politically, Jackson County sits close to the rest of Illinois.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Jackson County. The southeast side runs the most Democratic (D+40) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+57), a spread of about 97 points.
Why Jackson 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 Jackson County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 37% of adults in Jackson County hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 28%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 44% of adults in Jackson County have never been married, above 97% of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Jackson County, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Jackson County looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 48% of households in Jackson County rent, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 93% of adults in Jackson County have completed high school, above 77% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Williamson County, IL R+36
- Union County, IL R+48
- Perry County, IL R+49
- Franklin County, IL R+52
- Johnson County, IL R+41
- Perry County, MO R+62
- Cape Girardeau County, MO R+34
- Randolph County, IL R+45
- Pulaski County, IL R+26
- Saline County, IL R+50
Counties with Similar Populations
- Jessamine County, KY R+35
- Madison County, ID R+35
- Gila County, AZ R+27
- McMinn County, TN R+61
- Tuscola County, MI R+42
- Navarro County, TX R+34
- Fulton County, NY R+28
- Kerr County, TX R+45
- Columbia County, OR R+18
- Jackson County, AL R+71
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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.