Kent leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 73% of adults in Kent typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Kent, ~21% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Kent compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Kent leans more Republican than 36 of 57 neighbors.
Kent runs about 53 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Kent is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Kent 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 Kent, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Kent votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Kent runs about 53 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 86% of residents in Kent drive to work alone, above 85% of cities.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Kent, IL sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Kent looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 96% of adults in Kent have completed high school, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Willow, IL R+40
- Pearl City, IL R+43
- Lena, IL R+43
- Stockton, IL R+28
- Waddams Grove, IL R+48
- Eleroy, IL R+41
- Nora, IL R+42
- Scioto Mills, IL R+37
- Mc Connell, IL R+47
- Red Oak, IL R+45
Cities with Similar Populations
- Littleton, IA R+43
- Bolling, AL R+63
- Cannelton, WV R+42
- Jansen, NE R+64
- Wiltshire, MS D+19
- Mount Union, LA R+64
- Eastport, MI R+14
- Stull, KS R+13
- Gethsemane, NC D+23
- Berkshire, MA D+10
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.