Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Illinois would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Prairie State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Illinois with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
80.1% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Fayette County, Illinois
Vandalia is a town in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, 69 miles northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. It served as the state capital of Illinois from 1819 until 1839, when the seat of state government moved to Springfield. Vandalia was for years the western terminus of the National Road.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
78.8% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Effingham County, Illinois
Effingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Effingham County, Illinois, United States. Effingham is one of the northernmost cities in southern Illinois. The population was 12,604 at the 2015 census estimate. Effingham is part of the Effingham, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
78.6% Republican vote · #3 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Williamson County, Illinois
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,193 at the 2010 census. It is part of a dispersed urban area that developed out of the early 20th-century coal fields.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.9% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Shelby County, Illinois
Pana is a city in Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,614 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.4% Republican vote · #5 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Washington County, Illinois
Centralia is a city in Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 as of the 2010 census, down from 14,136 in 2000. The current mayor is Tom Ashby.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
75.8% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Wabash County, Illinois
Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the population was 7,284, while the next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, population 475. Located at the confluence of the Wabash, Patoka, and White Rivers, Mount Carmel borders both Gibson and Knox counties of Indiana. A small community known informally as East Mount Carmel sits near the mouth of the Patoka River on the opposite side of the Wabash River from Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is 5 miles northeast of the Forest of the Wabash, a National Natural Landmark within Beall Woods State Park and about a mile north-northeast of one of its main employers, the Gibson Generating Station. Mount Carmel is also the home of Wabash Valley College, part of the Community College System of Eastern Illinois.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
75.6% Republican vote · #7 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Edgar County, Illinois
Paris is a city in Paris Township, Edgar County, Illinois, 165 miles south of Chicago and 90 miles west of Indianapolis. In 1900, 6,105 people lived in Paris; in 1910, 7,664; and in 1940, 9,281. The population was 8,837 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Edgar County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
75.5% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Richland County, Illinois
Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.7% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Crawford County, Illinois
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.4% Republican vote · #11 most conservative in Illinois
Located in
Randolph County, Illinois
Chester is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, Illinois, United States, on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The population was 8,586 at the 2010 census. It lies 61 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Illinois’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in Illinois
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in Illinois for 2026
To find the most conservative places in Illinois, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Illinois over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 330 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 330 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Vandalia, is “The Most Conservative City in Illinois For 2026”. The most liberal place in Illinois was Willow Springs.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in Illinois.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In Illinois
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vandalia | 1.00 | 5,796 | 80.1% |
| 2 | Effingham | 2.00 | 12,342 | 78.8% |
| 3 | Marion | 3.00 | 16,836 | 78.6% |
| 4 | Pana | 4.00 | 5,217 | 77.9% |
| 5 | Centralia | 5.00 | 11,856 | 77.4% |
| 6 | Mount Carmel | 6.00 | 6,854 | 75.8% |
| 7 | Paris | 7.00 | 8,276 | 75.6% |
| 8 | Olney | 8.00 | 8,577 | 75.5% |
| 9 | Robinson | 9.00 | 7,084 | 74.7% |
| 10 | Chester | 11.00 | 6,797 | 74.4% |
| 11 | Metropolis | 12.00 | 5,864 | 73.3% |
| 12 | Harrisburg | 13.00 | 8,372 | 73.2% |
| 13 | Benton | 14.50 | 6,863 | 73.1% |
| 13 | West Frankfort | 14.50 | 7,118 | 73.1% |
| 15 | Jerseyville | 16.00 | 7,445 | 73.0% |
| 16 | Pinckneyville | 17.50 | 5,018 | 72.7% |
| 16 | Du Quoin | 17.50 | 5,726 | 72.7% |
| 18 | Salem | 19.50 | 7,236 | 72.6% |
| 19 | Quincy | 21.00 | 39,109 | 72.2% |
| 20 | Mount Vernon | 22.50 | 14,090 | 71.7% |
| 21 | Taylorville | 24.50 | 10,646 | 71.4% |
| 22 | Pontiac | 26.50 | 11,294 | 71.1% |
| 22 | Streator | 26.50 | 12,330 | 71.1% |
| 24 | Clinton | 28.00 | 6,985 | 70.2% |
| 25 | Hillsboro | 29.50 | 5,803 | 69.5% |
| 25 | Litchfield | 29.50 | 6,834 | 69.5% |
| 27 | Greenville | 31.00 | 7,235 | 69.1% |
| 28 | Eureka | 32.00 | 5,007 | 69.1% |
| 29 | Lincoln | 33.00 | 13,281 | 68.7% |
| 30 | Beardstown | 34.00 | 6,169 | 68.2% |
| 32 | Carbondale | 36.50 | 22,158 | 67.8% |
| 32 | Herrin | 36.50 | 12,226 | 67.8% |
| 32 | Carterville | 36.50 | 5,818 | 67.8% |
| 34 | Carlinville | 39.00 | 5,480 | 67.2% |
| 35 | Columbia | 40.50 | 11,127 | 66.9% |
| 35 | Waterloo | 40.50 | 11,129 | 66.9% |
| 37 | Danville | 42.50 | 28,595 | 65.6% |
| 37 | Hoopeston | 42.50 | 5,034 | 65.6% |
| 39 | Jacksonville | 44.00 | 18,014 | 65.0% |
| 40 | Monticello | 45.00 | 6,304 | 63.6% |
| 41 | Mattoon | 46.50 | 16,586 | 62.1% |
| 41 | Charleston | 46.50 | 17,062 | 62.1% |
| 45 | Channahon | 50.00 | 13,927 | 61.9% |
| 45 | Minooka | 50.00 | 12,891 | 61.9% |
| 45 | Morris | 50.00 | 14,898 | 61.9% |
| 45 | Coal City | 50.00 | 5,317 | 61.9% |
| 45 | Braidwood | 50.00 | 6,062 | 61.9% |
| 48 | Rockford | 53.50 | 147,521 | 61.8% |
| 48 | Rochelle | 53.50 | 9,529 | 61.8% |
| 52 | Washington | 57.00 | 15,919 | 61.6% |
| 52 | Morton | 57.00 | 16,595 | 61.6% |
| 52 | Peoria Heights | 57.00 | 5,825 | 61.6% |
| 52 | East Peoria | 57.00 | 22,324 | 61.6% |
| 52 | Pekin | 57.00 | 31,781 | 61.6% |
| 55 | Spring Valley | 60.50 | 5,476 | 59.7% |
| 55 | Princeton | 60.50 | 7,975 | 59.7% |
| 58 | Kewanee | 63.00 | 11,913 | 59.7% |
| 58 | Geneseo | 63.00 | 6,673 | 59.7% |
| 58 | Colona | 63.00 | 5,139 | 59.7% |
| 60 | Canton | 65.00 | 13,144 | 59.2% |
| 61 | Monmouth | 66.00 | 8,581 | 59.1% |
| 62 | Dixon | 67.50 | 14,910 | 58.7% |
| 63 | Mount Zion | 69.50 | 5,660 | 57.9% |
| 63 | Decatur | 69.50 | 69,815 | 57.9% |
| 65 | Macomb | 71.00 | 14,894 | 57.2% |
| 67 | Bradley | 73.50 | 15,325 | 57.2% |
| 67 | Manteno | 73.50 | 9,030 | 57.2% |
| 67 | Kankakee | 73.50 | 23,996 | 57.2% |
| 67 | Bourbonnais | 73.50 | 18,078 | 57.2% |
| 70 | Freeport | 76.00 | 23,505 | 56.8% |
| 72 | Mendota | 79.00 | 6,994 | 56.2% |
| 72 | Ottawa | 79.00 | 18,447 | 56.2% |
| 72 | LaSalle | 79.00 | 9,498 | 56.2% |
| 72 | Peru | 79.00 | 9,775 | 56.2% |
| 75 | Belvidere | 82.50 | 24,752 | 55.6% |
| 75 | Loves Park | 82.50 | 23,502 | 55.6% |
| 83 | Godfrey | 90.00 | 17,712 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Glen Carbon | 90.00 | 13,977 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Collinsville | 90.00 | 24,031 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Alton | 90.00 | 25,279 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Granite City | 90.00 | 26,549 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Edwardsville | 90.00 | 26,474 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Maryville | 90.00 | 8,316 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Bethalto | 90.00 | 9,239 | 55.4% |
| 83 | East Alton | 90.00 | 5,689 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Wood River | 90.00 | 10,279 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Pontoon Beach | 90.00 | 6,025 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Highland | 90.00 | 10,262 | 55.4% |
| 83 | Troy | 90.00 | 11,647 | 55.4% |
| 90 | Sterling | 97.50 | 14,717 | 53.1% |
| 90 | Rock Falls | 97.50 | 8,587 | 53.1% |
| 92 | Galesburg | 99.00 | 29,481 | 51.9% |
| 93 | Chatham | 100.50 | 14,639 | 51.1% |
| 93 | Springfield | 100.50 | 113,330 | 51.1% |
| 101 | Cary | 108.50 | 17,923 | 50.2% |
| 101 | Lakemoor | 108.50 | 6,467 | 50.2% |
| 101 | Island Lake | 108.50 | 8,014 | 50.2% |
| 101 | Huntley | 108.50 | 28,005 | 50.2% |
| 101 | Harvard | 108.50 | 9,598 | 50.2% |
| 101 | Spring Grove | 108.50 | 5,917 | 50.2% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 330 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Illinois
Well, there you have it, the places in Illinois that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Vandalia ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Illinois are Vandalia, Effingham, Marion, Pana, Centralia, Mount Carmel, Paris, Olney, Robinson, and Chester.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Illinois. Not sold on Illinois? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
