Peoria leans heavily Democratic by roughly 32 points: about 66% of voters vote Democratic and 34% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Peoria typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Peoria, ~43% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Peoria compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Peoria is the most Democratic-leaning.
Peoria runs about 20 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Peoria. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+61) and the southwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+12), a spread of about 49 points.
Why Peoria 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 Peoria, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 83% of residents in Peoria live in densely developed areas, about 47 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Peoria sits in the top quarter (about 34%, above 80% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 42% of adults in Peoria have never been married, above 95% of cities.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Peoria, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Peoria looks the way it does
Turnout in Peoria 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
- West Peoria, IL D+26
- Peoria Heights, IL D+11
- Bellevue, IL R+14
- Norwood, IL R+21
- Edwards, IL R+14
- East Peoria, IL R+23
- Creve Coeur, IL R+25
- Bartonville, IL R+16
- Dunlap, IL R+7
- Mossville, IL R+9
Cities with Similar Populations
- Santa Maria, CA D+10
- Bowling Green, KY R+11
- Longmont, CO D+32
- Sparks, NV Even
- Norcross, GA D+31
- Downey, CA D+23
- Costa Mesa, CA D+8
- Antioch, CA D+34
- Charlottesville, VA D+45
- Broomfield, CO D+22
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.