White County is a Republican stronghold. About 21% of voters here vote Democratic and 79% Republican.
About 72% of adults in White County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in White County, ~15% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~28% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How White County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, White County leans more Republican than 15 of 20 neighbors.
White County runs about 70 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while White County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why White County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for White County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In White County, about 95% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 23 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 9 points below the Illinois average of 27%. White County runs against the grain of Illinois, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; White County, IL sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in White County looks the way it does
Turnout in White County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Hamilton County, IL R+62
- Posey County, IN R+45
- Gallatin County, IL R+60
- Edwards County, IL R+64
- Wayne County, IL R+65
- Saline County, IL R+50
- Wabash County, IL R+51
- Union County, KY R+56
- Vanderburgh County, IN R+9
- Gibson County, IN R+49
Counties with Similar Populations
- Walthall County, MS R+26
- Zapata County, TX R+7
- Murray County, OK R+59
- Crockett County, TN R+57
- Madison County, VA R+34
- Faribault County, MN R+38
- Newton County, IN R+54
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK R+3
- Morgan County, OH R+55
- Lamar County, AL R+77
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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.