River Forest is a Democratic stronghold. About 77% of voters here vote Democratic and 23% Republican.
About 81% of adults in River Forest typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in River Forest, ~62% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How River Forest compares
Among cities within 25 miles, River Forest leans more Democratic than 139 of 160 neighbors.
River Forest runs about 44 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within River Forest. The southwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+61) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+50), a spread of about 11 points.
Why River Forest 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 River Forest, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 88% of residents in River Forest live in densely developed areas, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and River Forest sits in the top quarter (about 72%, in the top fraction of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 34% of adults in River Forest have never been married, above 85% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; River Forest, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in River Forest looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. River Forest is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 76%, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in River Forest have completed high school, above 89% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Forest Park, IL D+67
- Oak Park, IL D+78
- Maywood, IL D+74
- Elmwood Park, IL D+19
- River Grove, IL R+4
- Hines, IL D+73
- Melrose Park, IL D+22
- Broadview, IL D+72
- Bellwood, IL D+78
- Stone Park, IL D+23
Cities with Similar Populations
- Garden Acres, CA D+15
- Church Point, LA R+48
- New Brighton, PA R+21
- Schiller Park, IL R+13
- Miller Place, NY R+26
- Mountain City, TN R+66
- Whiting, IN D+7
- Latonia, KY R+17
- Gardnerville, NV R+35
- Camdenton, MO R+55
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.