Decatur, IL
Latest: 2024
Safe Republican — 102K residents — 1 counties
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 73.3% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(13) | 2.9% |
▶Black / African American(6) | 16.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.5% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(5) | 0.2% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.1% |
Multiracial / Other | 5.9% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 24.4% | 51.6% |
| Catholic | 9.6% | 20.3% |
| Mainline Protestant | 7.2% | 15.2% |
| Black Protestant | 3.4% | 7.1% |
| Other | 2.7% | 5.7% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 1.1% | 2.3% |
| Non-religious | 52.8% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+18.9 |
| 2020 | Trump+17.6 |
| 2016 | Trump+17.7 |
| 2012 | Romney+5.2 |
| 2008 | Obama+1.0 |
| 2004 | Bush+9.2 |
| 2000 | Gore+0.9 |
| 1996 | Clinton+12.9 |
| 1992 | Clinton+15.8 |
Decatur, IL is a metro area that has a population of 101,849. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+18.9. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 39.7% | 58.6% | R+18.9 | R+1.2 |
| 2020 | 40.1% | 57.7% | R+17.6 | D+0.1 |
| 2016 | 38.2% | 55.9% | R+17.7 | R+12.6 |
| 2012 | 46.5% | 51.6% | R+5.2 | R+6.2 |
| 2008 | 49.6% | 48.5% | D+1.0 | D+10.3 |
| 2004 | 45.1% | 54.3% | R+9.2 | R+10.1 |
| 2000 | 49.4% | 48.6% | D+0.9 | R+12.0 |
| 1996 | 51.4% | 38.4% | D+12.9 | R+2.9 |
| 1992 | 49.4% | 33.6% | D+15.8 | D+12.7 |
| 1988 | 51.3% | 48.2% | D+3.0 | D+11.9 |
| 1984 | 45.4% | 54.3% | R+8.9 | D+2.2 |
| 1980 | 41.4% | 52.4% | R+11.1 | R+17.3 |
| 1976 | 52.7% | 46.4% | D+6.3 | D+24.8 |
| 1972 | 40.6% | 59.2% | R+18.6 | R+23.3 |
| 1968 | 47.0% | 42.3% | D+4.7 | R+27.5 |
| 1964 | 66.1% | 33.9% | D+32.2 | D+34.3 |
| 1960 | 48.8% | 51.0% | R+2.1 | D+7.0 |
| 1956 | 45.4% | 54.6% | R+9.1 | R+1.9 |
| 1952 | 46.3% | 53.6% | R+7.2 | R+14.1 |
| 1948 | 53.1% | 46.3% | D+6.8 | — |
What defines Decatur, IL?
Decatur, IL has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (1D, 5R) — a genuine swing geography.
Constituent Counties
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Nearest neighbors matched on the same place-page feature set used across the dossier system.
Battle Creek, MI
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Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC
Small-town rural republican 3
Seneca Falls, NY
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Hutchinson, KS
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Freeport, IL
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Danville, IL
Small-town rural republican 3
Dixon, IL
Small-town rural republican 2
Counties in Decatur, IL
2024 presidential results across the counties that make up this geography.
Sort:
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon | 102K | R+18.9 | 18,009 | 26,562 | 45,341 | 100.0% |
1 countiesTotal votes: 45,341
Ask the Historian
Explore Decatur, IL's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- The 2008 election was decided by just 1.0 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2008, Republicans in 2024
- College attainment is 24% — 9pp below the national average. Similar education levels correlate with Republican lean nationally
Who Lives Here
A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
| Group | Decatur, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 73.3% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(6) | 16.3% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 5.9% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(13) | 2.9% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.5% | 6.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(5) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Method notes
Religious Adherents
Population that are religious adherents:
47.2%
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -35.8pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.4% | 51.6% | — | — | |
| 9.6% | 20.3% | — | — | |
| 7.2% | 15.2% | — | — | |
| 3.4% | 7.1% | — | — | |
| 2.7% | 5.7% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.1% | 2.3% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 52.8% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Decatur, IL metro area? 101,849 residents across 1 counties.
Demographics
Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 9pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 on average nationally.
Population & electorate
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Total population
102K
Share of U.S. population
0.03%
Voting-age population
74.4%
Economic profile
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Median household income
$62,666
Poverty rate
15.0%
College degree
24.4%
Homeownership
70.2%
Community profile
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Median age
40.6 yrs
Age 18–29
14.3%
Age 65+
21.0%
Foreign born
2.7%
Non-English at home
4.1%
English only
95.9%
Turnout in Decatur, IL
Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
59.8%
-5.6pp
75,779
1988–2024
How competitive is Decatur, IL?
Safe RAvg margin: R+18.1 (last 3 elections)
2008
D+1.0
2012
R+5.2
2016
R+17.7
2020
R+17.6
2024
R+18.9
19.9pp
3
R+11.7
Do voters in Decatur, IL split their tickets?
Divergence between offices in the same election reveals persuadable voters.
Heavy splitting (20/100)
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+15.5 | R+19.3 | 3.8pp |
Average divergence across office pairs: 14.4pp
Located In
Decatur, IL sits inside these higher-level geographies.
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