Richland County is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 79% of adults in Richland County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Richland County, ~20% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~21% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Richland County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Richland County leans more Republican than 5 of 14 neighbors.
Richland County runs about 61 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Richland County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Richland County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+67) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+43), a spread of about 23 points.
Why Richland 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 Richland County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Richland County, about 93% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 21 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points below the Illinois average of 27%. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Richland County runs against that pattern. Richland County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Richland County, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Richland County looks the way it does
Turnout in Richland County 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 Counties
- Lawrence County, IL R+47
- Jasper County, IL R+61
- Clay County, IL R+63
- Edwards County, IL R+64
- Wabash County, IL R+51
- Crawford County, IL R+50
- Wayne County, IL R+65
- Knox County, IN R+41
- Effingham County, IL R+56
- Cumberland County, IL R+60
Counties with Similar Populations
- Sequatchie County, TN R+68
- Van Buren County, AR R+63
- Sevier County, AR R+50
- Brunswick County, VA D+13
- Osage County, KS R+49
- Benton County, TN R+64
- Neosho County, KS R+48
- Leon County, TX R+69
- Grand County, CO R+6
- Otoe County, NE R+39
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.