Nelson leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Nelson typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nelson, ~30% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nelson compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Nelson leans more Republican than 3 of 61 neighbors.
Nelson runs about 34 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Nelson is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Nelson 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 Nelson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Nelson drive to work alone, about 11 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Nelson runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Nelson, IL sits above the national average on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Nelson looks the way it does
Turnout in Nelson 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 Cities
- Prairieville, IL R+27
- Sterling, IL R+5
- Rock Falls, IL R+16
- Yeoward Addition, IL R+39
- Penrose, IL R+38
- Dixon, IL R+13
- Woosung, IL R+26
- Harmon, IL R+28
- Galt, IL R+34
- Como, IL R+37
Cities with Similar Populations
- Palm, PA R+30
- Gilbertsville, NY R+18
- Johnson Siding, SD R+40
- Wannee, FL R+72
- Woodland, IN R+20
- Monitor, WA R+38
- Cedar Creek, NE R+48
- New Elm, GA R+71
- Hunter, TN R+70
- Three Mile Bay, NY R+21
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.