Water Valley leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 72% of adults in Water Valley typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Water Valley, ~20% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Water Valley compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Water Valley leans more Republican than 22 of 84 neighbors.
Water Valley runs about 55 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Water Valley is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Water Valley 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 Water Valley, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Water Valley votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Water Valley runs about 55 points more Republican.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Water Valley, IL sits in the bottom 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 Water Valley looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 90% of households in Water Valley 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
- Saratoga, IL R+50
- Cobden, IL R+43
- Makanda, IL D+6
- Lick Creek, IL R+53
- Mountain Glen, IL R+50
- Anna, IL R+45
- Elvira, IL R+54
- Alto Pass, IL R+50
- Mount Pleasant, IL R+59
- Jonesboro, IL R+48
Cities with Similar Populations
- Tollette, AR D+8
- Woody, CA R+52
- Fuget, KY R+73
- Anderson, AK R+32
- Carmel, OH R+68
- Dovray, MN R+55
- Danville Center, VT D+3
- Dartmoor, WV R+64
- Savona, OH R+70
- Fairview, IN R+68
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.