Macon County leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Macon County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Macon County, ~33% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Macon County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Macon County leans more Republican than 3 of 12 neighbors.
Macon County runs about 19 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Macon County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Macon County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+5), a spread of about 41 points.
Why Macon 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 Macon County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Macon County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 65%, far above the Illinois average of 33%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Macon County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Macon County, IL sits in the top quarter 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 Macon County looks the way it does
Turnout in Macon County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- De Witt County, IL R+43
- Piatt County, IL R+35
- Moultrie County, IL R+54
- Christian County, IL R+45
- Logan County, IL R+41
- Shelby County, IL R+58
- Douglas County, IL R+48
- Sangamon County, IL Even
- Champaign County, IL D+29
- Coles County, IL R+26
Counties with Similar Populations
- Bay County, MI R+18
- Adams County, PA R+35
- Fond du Lac County, WI R+23
- Cecil County, MD R+29
- Flathead County, MT R+32
- Wicomico County, MD D+6
- Limestone County, AL R+45
- Etowah County, AL R+49
- Franklin County, MO R+48
- Daviess County, KY R+31
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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.