Saline County leans heavily Republican by roughly 50 points: about 25% of voters vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Saline County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Saline County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~54% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Saline County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Saline County leans more Republican than 9 of 20 neighbors.
Saline County runs about 61 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Saline County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Saline County. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+46), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Saline 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 Saline County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 85% of residents in Saline County drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Saline County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Developed land and Democratic lean
Places with a heavily developed built environment tend to lean Democratic; Saline County, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Saline County looks the way it does
Turnout in Saline County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Gallatin County, IL R+60
- Hardin County, IL R+57
- Hamilton County, IL R+62
- Williamson County, IL R+36
- Pope County, IL R+60
- Franklin County, IL R+52
- Johnson County, IL R+41
- White County, IL R+59
- Union County, KY R+56
- Crittenden County, KY R+68
Counties with Similar Populations
- Ohio County, KY R+63
- Upshur County, WV R+55
- Iowa County, WI R+11
- Page County, VA R+53
- Aransas County, TX R+46
- Anderson County, KY R+50
- Itawamba County, MS R+76
- Mingo County, WV R+71
- Hood River County, OR D+24
- Seminole County, OK R+51
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.