Sparta leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 74% of adults in Sparta typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sparta, ~25% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~26% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sparta compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sparta leans more Republican than 1 of 63 neighbors.
Sparta runs about 43 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Sparta is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sparta. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+57) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+13), a spread of about 44 points.
Why Sparta 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 Sparta, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sparta votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 39%, modestly above the Illinois average of 33%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Sparta runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Sparta, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Sparta looks the way it does
Turnout in Sparta sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Eden, IL R+49
- Houston, IL R+58
- Tilden, IL R+53
- Coulterville, IL R+51
- Walsh, IL R+60
- Steeleville, IL R+50
- Preston, IL R+60
- Baldwin, IL R+60
- Swanwick, IL R+64
Cities with Similar Populations
- Saukville, WI R+23
- Porter, IN R+10
- Warsaw, VA R+29
- Two Harbors, MN R+3
- Berkeley, IL D+44
- Deer Park, OH D+8
- Englewood Cliffs, NJ Even
- Fox Chapel, PA D+21
- East Hampton North, NY D+14
- Armada, MI R+43
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.