Scales Mound leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Scales Mound typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Scales Mound, ~34% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Scales Mound compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Scales Mound leans more Republican than 7 of 51 neighbors.
Scales Mound runs about 28 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Scales Mound is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Scales Mound. The northwest side is the most split-leaning (R+30) and the southwest side is the least split-leaning (Even), a spread of about 29 points.
Why Scales Mound 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 Scales Mound, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Scales Mound votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Scales Mound runs about 28 points more Republican.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Scales Mound, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Scales Mound looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 93% of households in Scales Mound own their home, about 13 points above the Illinois average of 80%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in Scales Mound have completed high school, above 87% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- The Galena Territory, IL D+7
- Guilford, IL R+29
- Galena, IL D+5
- Rice, IL R+2
- Benton, WI R+37
- Schapville, IL R+13
- Lead Mine, WI R+38
- Shullsburg, WI R+33
- Menominee, IL R+35
Cities with Similar Populations
- Forest Park, OK D+43
- Bronson, TX R+85
- Franklin Springs, NY D+38
- Woosung, IL R+26
- Dorris, CA R+30
- Fairfield, NC R+33
- Markleysburg, PA R+58
- Colonville, MI R+55
- Chauncey, OH D+8
- Paxton, TX R+77
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.