University Park, IL Political Map | Democrat & Republican Areas in University Park

By the BestNeighborhood data science team. Last updated May 2026.

University Park is a Democratic stronghold. About 86% of voters here vote Democratic and 14% Republican.

 

About 64% of adults in University Park typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in University Park, ~55% vote Democratic, ~9% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.

How University Park compares

Among cities within 25 miles, University Park leans more Democratic than 104 of 119 neighbors.

University Park runs about 60 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.

Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within University Park. The north side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+83) and the south side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+43), a spread of about 39 points.

Why University Park 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 University Park, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.

Dense areas vote Democratic. About 67% of residents in University Park live in densely developed areas, about 30 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 48% of adults in University Park have never been married, above 97% of cities.

Paved land cover and Democratic lean

Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; University Park, IL sits in the top tenth 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 University Park looks the way it does

Turnout in University Park 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.

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.