Pleasant Hill is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Pleasant Hill typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pleasant Hill, ~13% vote Democratic, ~63% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pleasant Hill compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Pleasant Hill leans more Republican than 44 of 59 neighbors.
Pleasant Hill runs about 78 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Pleasant Hill is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Pleasant Hill votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Pleasant Hill runs about 78 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Pleasant Hill drive to work alone, above 80% of cities. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Pleasant Hill sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 81% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Pleasant Hill, 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 Pleasant Hill looks the way it does
Turnout in Pleasant Hill sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Martinsburg, IL R+69
- Nebo, IL R+68
- Clarksville, MO R+54
- Summer Hill, IL R+70
- Rockport, IL R+72
- Pike, IL R+71
- Independence, IL R+68
- New Hartford, IL R+67
- Stark, MO R+65
Cities with Similar Populations
- Minerva, WV R+65
- Canyon City, OR R+51
- Bunger, TX R+78
- Rice, WA R+38
- Leeton, MO R+61
- Santo, TX R+75
- Tamworth, NH D+3
- Oil Springs, KY R+75
- Pumpkintown, NC R+25
- White Deer, TX R+86
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.