A mid-size Illinois hub where manufacturing decline reshaped the electorate
Decatur anchors Macon County, a once-reliably Democratic union stronghold that shifted sharply rightward as Archer Daniels Midland's workforce contracted and the region's industrial base eroded over the past three decades.
| Group | Decatur, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 78.7% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(6) | 14.7% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.6% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(13) | 1.8% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.0% | 6.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(5) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
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? 433,731 residents across 4 counties.
21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 12pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+15 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+15.5 | R+19.3 | 3.8pp |