Illinois River corridor anchoring a persistently competitive rural margin
Ottawa anchors the La Salle County micropolitan area, where a historically unionized industrial base has shifted alongside broader rural realignment, producing notable swings in presidential margins over the past three election cycles.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle | 112K | R+18.4 | 21,029 | 30,717 | 52,508 | 18.3% |
| LaSalle | 112K | R+18.4 | 21,029 | 30,717 | 52,508 | 18.3% |
| LaSalle | 112K | R+18.4 | 21,029 | 30,717 | 52,508 | 18.3% |
| LaSalle | 109K | R+18.4 | 21,029 | 30,717 | 52,508 | 18.3% |
| Bureau | 36K | R+24.3 | 5,900 | 9,784 | 15,999 | 5.6% |
| Bureau | 35K | R+24.3 | 5,900 | 9,784 | 15,999 | 5.6% |
| Bureau | 34K | R+24.3 | 5,900 | 9,784 | 15,999 | 5.6% |
| Bureau | 33K | R+24.3 | 5,900 | 9,784 | 15,999 | 5.6% |
| Putnam | 6K | R+22.8 | 1,254 | 2,014 | 3,334 | 1.2% |
| Putnam | 6K | R+22.8 | 1,254 | 2,014 | 3,334 | 1.2% |
| Putnam | 6K | R+22.8 | 1,254 | 2,014 | 3,334 | 1.2% |
| Putnam | 6K | R+22.8 | 1,254 | 2,014 | 3,334 | 1.2% |
| Group | Ottawa, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 88.2% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 7.8% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 1.6% | 4.0% |
▶Black / African American(7) | 1.5% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 0.7% | 6.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(7) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +13.2pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Catholic-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Democratic-leaning urban and suburban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.1% | 45.9% | — | — | |
| 11.1% | 28.3% | — | — | |
| 9.1% | 23.1% | — | — | |
| 0.9% | 2.3% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.3% | 0.9% | — | — |
| 0.1% | 0.3% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 60.6% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Ottawa, IL metro area? 604,847 residents across 12 counties.
17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 16pp 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+9.7 | R+16.0 | 6.3pp |