River Grove is a true toss-up. About 48% of voters here vote Democratic and 52% Republican.
About 58% of adults in River Grove typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in River Grove, ~28% vote Democratic, ~30% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How River Grove compares
Among cities within 25 miles, River Grove leans more Republican than 133 of 160 neighbors.
River Grove runs about 14 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while River Grove is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within River Grove. The west side runs the most Democratic (D+3) and the northeast side runs the most Republican (R+7), a spread of about 11 points.
Why River Grove 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 Grove, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
River Grove votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while River Grove runs about 14 points more Republican.
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a never-married-heavy adult population and a heavily developed built environment tend to turn out at a lower rate, as River Grove, IL does.
Why turnout in River Grove looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. River Grove 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 39% of households in River Grove rent, above 94% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elmwood Park, IL D+19
- Franklin Park, IL D+6
- Melrose Park, IL D+22
- Schiller Park, IL R+13
- River Forest, IL D+55
- Norridge, IL R+21
- Stone Park, IL D+23
- Harwood Heights, IL R+13
- Northlake, IL D+17
- Maywood, IL D+74
Cities with Similar Populations
- New Baltimore, VA R+17
- Maynard, MA D+38
- Ruckersville, VA R+20
- Belle View, VA D+44
- Orange Cove, CA D+6
- Huron, OH R+19
- Southwest Ranches, FL R+17
- East Greenbush, NY D+10
- Lancaster, KY R+56
- Lake Hiawatha, NJ R+2
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.