Thayer leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Thayer typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Thayer, ~20% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Thayer compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Thayer leans more Republican than 27 of 64 neighbors.
Thayer runs about 56 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Thayer is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Thayer. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+50) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+39), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Thayer 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 Thayer, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Thayer votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Thayer runs about 56 points more Republican. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 88% of residents in Thayer drive to work alone, above 89% of cities.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Thayer, IL sits in the top quarter nationally 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 Thayer looks the way it does
Turnout in Thayer 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
- Virden, IL R+39
- Auburn, IL R+29
- Divernon, IL R+49
- McVey, IL R+52
- Girard, IL R+42
- Glenarm, IL R+36
- Farmersville, IL R+53
- Thomasville, IL R+50
- Loami, IL R+42
- Nilwood, IL R+53
Cities with Similar Populations
- Oneida Castle, NY R+33
- Jelloway, OH R+63
- Ruggles, OH R+62
- Strasburg, MO R+53
- Oak City, NC D+5
- Gallatin, TX R+66
- Cason, TX R+61
- Blooming Grove, NY R+17
- Burkeville, TX R+86
- Waterproof, LA D+56
All Local Stats
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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.