One of Illinois's most lopsided presidential metros outside Chicago's orbit
Kankakee's small industrial metro on the Kankakee River has shifted decisively Republican over successive cycles, posting a nearly 49-point margin in 2024 that places it among the state's most one-sided presidential results.
| Group | Kankakee, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 73.5% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(9) | 14.9% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(13) | 8.6% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 1.8% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 0.9% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(7) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +7.6pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.9% | 43.3% | — | — | |
| 15.1% | 31.3% | — | — | |
| 6.1% | 12.7% | — | — | |
| 4.7% | 9.7% | — | — | |
| 1.3% | 2.8% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.5% | 1.0% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 51.9% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Kankakee, IL metro area? 433,205 residents across 4 counties.
18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 15pp 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+13.4 | R+21.4 | 8.0pp |