Shields is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Shields typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shields, ~10% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shields compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shields leans more Republican than 45 of 61 neighbors.
Shields runs about 81 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Shields is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shields. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+79) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+69), a spread of about 10 points.
Why Shields 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 Shields, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Shields votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Shields runs about 81 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Shields sits in the bottom quarter (about 14%, below 81% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Shields, IL sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Shields looks the way it does
Turnout in Shields sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Stratton, IL R+76
- Texico, IL R+65
- Bluford, IL R+68
- Crisp, IL R+79
- Camp Ground, IL R+60
- Keenes, IL R+71
- Iuka, IL R+69
- Summersville, IL R+51
- Kell, IL R+66
- Round Prairie, IL R+78
Cities with Similar Populations
- Emerickville, PA R+65
- Heatonville, MO R+72
- DeLancey, PA R+56
- Okolona, OH R+61
- McArthur Crossroads, NC R+23
- McCanna, ND R+51
- Thomas Mills, PA R+52
- Voth, TX R+68
- Foresman, IN R+57
- Willowbrook, KS R+56
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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.