Riverwoods leans Democratic by roughly 30 points: about 65% of voters vote Democratic and 35% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Riverwoods typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Riverwoods, ~55% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Riverwoods compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Riverwoods leans more Democratic than 127 of 155 neighbors.
Riverwoods runs about 18 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Riverwoods. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+38) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+21), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Riverwoods 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 Riverwoods, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with high college attainment vote Democratic. About 79% of adults in Riverwoods hold a bachelor's degree, about 51 points above the U.S. average of 28%. Dense areas vote Democratic, and Riverwoods sits in the top fifth on density (about 84%, above 95% of cities).
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Riverwoods, IL sits in the top tenth 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 Riverwoods looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Riverwoods 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 75%, about 14 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 99% of adults in Riverwoods have completed high school, above 97% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lincolnshire, IL D+28
- Bannockburn, IL D+26
- Deerfield, IL D+45
- Wheeling, IL D+15
- Buffalo Grove, IL D+25
- Northbrook, IL D+32
- Prospect Heights, IL D+9
- Highland Park, IL D+50
- Highwood, IL D+34
- Lake Forest, IL D+16
Cities with Similar Populations
- Ponder, TX R+57
- Gold Hill, OR R+32
- Oregon, IL R+24
- Exeter, PA R+12
- Paulding, OH R+50
- Williams, AZ R+35
- Rineyville, KY R+47
- St. Joseph, IL R+29
- Jefferson, MD R+12
- Bunker Hill Village, TX R+29
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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.