Malden leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Malden typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Malden, ~19% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Malden compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Malden leans more Republican than 51 of 70 neighbors.
Malden runs about 54 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Malden is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Malden 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 Malden, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Malden votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Malden runs about 54 points more Republican.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Malden, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Malden looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 90% of households in Malden own their home, about 11 points above the Illinois average of 80%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dover, IL R+45
- Zearing, IL R+36
- Hollowayville, IL R+33
- Princeton, IL R+22
- Seatonville, IL R+28
- Arlington, IL R+36
- Kasbeer, IL R+45
- DePue, IL D+2
- Cherry, IL R+42
- Bureau, IL R+42
Cities with Similar Populations
- Jerusalem, AR R+60
- Windsor, NJ D+6
- Nicasio, CA D+47
- Westhope, ND R+64
- Parker Ford, PA R+12
- Bosworth, MO R+69
- Phillipston Four Corners, MA R+24
- Colmar, KY R+77
- Dartmouth, MA R+12
- Sand Flat, TX R+81
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.