Reading is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Reading typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Reading, ~16% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Reading compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Reading leans more Republican than 48 of 62 neighbors.
Reading runs about 63 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Reading is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Reading 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 Reading, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Reading votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Reading runs about 63 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in Reading drive to work alone, above 81% of cities.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Reading, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Reading looks the way it does
Turnout in Reading 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
- Ancona, IL R+53
- South Streator, IL R+42
- Streator, IL R+21
- Kangley, IL R+35
- Long Point, IL R+61
- Kernan, IL R+41
- Cornell, IL R+55
- Blackstone, IL R+52
Cities with Similar Populations
- Doyon, ND R+47
- East Stanwood, WA R+23
- Excelsior, WI R+27
- Fairmount, MD R+37
- Devault, PA D+17
- Fentress, MS R+34
- El Ancon, NM D+8
- Felton, AR D+7
- Garden City, LA Even
- Glen Cove, WA D+58
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.