Perry County leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Perry County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Perry County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Perry County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Perry County leans more Republican than 9 of 15 neighbors.
Perry County runs about 60 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Perry County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Perry County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+40), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Perry 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 Perry County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in Perry County drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Perry County sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 92% of counties). Perry County 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; Perry County, IL sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Perry County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 81% of households in Perry County own their home, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Franklin County, IL R+52
- Washington County, IL R+53
- Jackson County, IL D+7
- Randolph County, IL R+45
- Williamson County, IL R+36
- Jefferson County, IL R+44
- Perry County, MO R+62
- Clinton County, IL R+47
- Marion County, IL R+47
- Union County, IL R+48
Counties with Similar Populations
- Fairfield County, SC D+13
- Shelby County, IL R+58
- Morgan County, MO R+63
- Dodge County, MN R+31
- Washington County, NE R+42
- Morgan County, TN R+70
- Bandera County, TX R+59
- Assumption Parish, LA R+30
- Buena Vista County, IA R+21
- Sullivan County, IN R+49
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.