Menard is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Menard typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Menard, ~16% vote Democratic, ~69% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Menard compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Menard leans more Republican than 55 of 70 neighbors.
Menard runs about 72 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Menard is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Menard 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 Menard, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 92% of residents in Menard drive to work alone, about 19 points above the U.S. average of 74%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Menard fits that profile on both counts. Menard runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Menard, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Menard looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 90% of households in Menard 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
- Ellis Grove, IL R+61
- Reily Lake, IL R+49
- Walsh, IL R+60
- Evansville, IL R+51
- Chester, IL R+38
- Modoc, IL R+58
- Preston, IL R+60
- Welge, IL R+52
- Ruma, IL R+57
Cities with Similar Populations
- Monford, KY R+73
- Buffalo City, AR R+63
- Stoneville, MS R+30
- Blackford, KY R+70
- Meads Creek, NY R+46
- Leonardsville, NY R+42
- Ruggles, PA R+43
- Starbuck, WA R+70
- Powhattan, KS R+15
- Port Lions, AK D+4
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.