Shannon leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 88% of adults in Shannon typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shannon, ~29% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~12% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shannon compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shannon leans more Republican than 15 of 60 neighbors.
Shannon runs about 45 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Shannon is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shannon. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+26), a spread of about 18 points.
Why Shannon 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 Shannon, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Shannon votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 40%, modestly above the Illinois average of 33%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. Shannon runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Shannon, IL sits above the national average 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 Shannon looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 91% of households in Shannon own their home, about 11 points above the Illinois average of 80%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Harper, IL R+48
- Lanark, IL R+37
- Florence, IL R+38
- Pearl City, IL R+43
- Baileyville, IL R+46
- Forreston, IL R+42
- Haldane, IL R+50
- Freeport, IL D+3
- Eleroy, IL R+41
- Mount Carroll, IL R+32
Cities with Similar Populations
- West Layton, UT R+46
- Rocky Plains, GA D+30
- Pheba, MS D+3
- Elkton, SD R+49
- Beverly, WA R+19
- Adamsville, OH R+67
- Prudhoe Bay, AK R+13
- Cando, ND R+48
- Columbia, VA R+33
- Charlo, MT R+40
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.