A small Illinois metro where manufacturing history shapes modern voting patterns
Freeport anchors Stephenson County, a historically industrial corner of northwest Illinois where a shrinking factory base has coincided with a long-term rightward shift in presidential margins over the past two decades.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson | 49K | R+19.4 | 8,278 | 12,347 | 20,995 | 25.0% |
| Stephenson | 47K | R+19.4 | 8,278 | 12,347 | 20,995 | 25.0% |
| Stephenson | 46K | R+19.4 | 8,278 | 12,347 | 20,995 | 25.0% |
| Stephenson | 44K | R+19.4 | 8,278 | 12,347 | 20,995 | 25.0% |
| Group | Freeport, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 84.7% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(6) | 8.4% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(8) | 3.1% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.7% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(5) | 0.8% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.6% | 35.3% | — | — | |
| 21.3% | 34.7% | — | — | |
| 12.6% | 20.6% | — | — | |
| 4.2% | 6.9% | — | — | |
| 1.3% | 2.2% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 1.3% | — | — |
| 0.2% | 0.4% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 38.7% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Freeport, IL metro area? 185,851 residents across 4 counties.
18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 15pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+22 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+14.9 | R+21.4 | 6.6pp |