Rantoul leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 55% of adults in Rantoul typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rantoul, ~31% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rantoul compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rantoul leans more Democratic than 60 of 63 neighbors.
Politically, Rantoul sits close to the rest of Illinois.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rantoul. The south side runs the most Democratic (D+29) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+6), a spread of about 35 points.
Why Rantoul 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 Rantoul, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 68% of residents in Rantoul live in densely developed areas, about 32 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 36% of adults in Rantoul have never been married, above 89% of cities.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; Rantoul, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally 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 Rantoul looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Rantoul is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 46% of households in Rantoul rent, compared to around 16% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in Rantoul report food insecurity, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Prospect, IL R+47
- Thomasboro, IL R+38
- Ludlow, IL R+47
- Tomlinson, IL R+48
- Gifford, IL R+49
- Dewey, IL R+42
- Penfield, IL R+50
- Paxton, IL R+33
- Fisher, IL R+47
- Perdueville, IL R+58
Cities with Similar Populations
- Starke, FL R+45
- Stony Point, NY R+19
- Holly Springs, MS D+30
- Eagle Point, OR R+30
- Waynesville, MO R+40
- Glenolden, PA D+11
- Allegan, MI R+26
- Perryville, MO R+58
- Bryan, OH R+38
- Chester, NY R+7
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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.