state house districtIllinois 81st State House District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+7.4
2008D+13.1
2012D+3.4
2016D+17.8
2020D+23.3
2024D+21.2
net swing · 2004→2024D+28.6R+7.4 → D+21.2
vs. U.S. · 2024D+22.7D+21.2 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 75.0% of 79,084 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
35,184
22,588
1,563
59,335
79,084
75.0%
2020
38,252
23,529
1,346
63,127
78,794†
80.1%
2016
30,339
20,469
4,612
55,420
77,845†
71.2%
2012
26,166
24,406
843
51,415
75,484†
68.1%
2008
30,310
23,199
772
54,281
75,474†
71.9%
2004
23,840
27,637
133
51,610
75,464†
68.4%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupIL HD 81IllinoisUnited States
German19.0%16.1%12.5%
Irish15.3%10.6%9.4%
Italian11.7%5.4%4.8%
Polish11.4%6.0%2.2%
English7.3%6.9%9.5%
American3.1%3.3%5.3%
Swedish2.5%1.5%—
French1.8%0.7%1.6%
Asian Indian5.9%2.1%1.4%
Filipino1.8%1.0%0.9%
Chinese1.4%1.0%1.3%
Pakistani1.1%0.3%—
Korean0.5%0.4%0.4%
Vietnamese0.4%0.2%0.6%
Burmese0.2%——
Taiwanese0.2%——
Mexican5.9%14.4%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.6%1.7%1.8%
Guatemalan0.3%0.3%0.5%
Cuban0.2%0.2%0.7%
Colombian0.2%0.3%0.4%
African American†3.8%12.1%9.9%
African0.2%0.5%0.5%
Jamaican0.2%—0.4%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
IL HD 81
Illinois
United States
Median age
42.3
39.1
39.1
Age 18–24
8.3%
9.1%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
17.3%
16.9%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
IL HD 81
Illinois
United States
Median household income
$120,254
$83,390
$84,427
Poverty rate
5.3%
11.8%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
51.8%
37.9%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
IL HD 81
Illinois
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
29.6%
24.1%
22.3%
Spanish
11.5%
14.0%
13.6%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic
3.9%
2.5%
0.7%
Other Indo-European
7.1%
2.6%
2.0%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
2.2%
1.0%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
IL HD 81
Illinois
United States
Catholic
—
24.2%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
11.7%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
49.2%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Illinois 81st State House District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−7.4%
2008
+13.1%
2012
+3.4%
2016
+17.8%
2020
+23.3%
2024
+21.2%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
59.3%Harris35,184
38.1%Trump22,588
2.6%
D+21.2
R+2.1
D+22.7
59,335
D
60.6%Biden38,252
37.3%Trump23,529
2.1%
D+23.3
D+5.5
D+18.9
63,127
D
54.7%Clinton30,339
36.9%Trump20,469
8.3%
D+17.8
D+14.4
D+15.7
55,420
D
50.9%Obama26,166
47.5%Romney24,406
1.6%
D+3.4
R+9.7
R+0.4
51,415
D
55.8%Obama30,310
42.7%McCain23,199
1.4%
D+13.1
D+20.5
D+5.8
54,281
R
46.2%Kerry23,840
53.5%Bush27,637
0.3%
R+7.4
—
R+4.9
51,610
current representation
Current officeholders
DAnne StavaState House · 81
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+47.7, this downstate district ranks among the most one-sided in Illinois, reflecting the heavily Republican rural realignment that has reshaped the state's political map outside the Chicago metro.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 23.3 points in 2020 and a Republican high of 7.4 points in 2004. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 2.1 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 21.2 points.
A population of 108,489, a 72% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $120,254 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State House District 42 and State House District 45.
Akashic
Political twins — state-house districts
The state-house districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Illinois 81st State House District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/17081/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Illinois 81st State House District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Illinois 81st State House District voted Democratic by 21.2 points (D+21.2), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 59,335 votes cast, 35,184 went Democratic and 22,588 went Republican.
When did Illinois 81st State House District last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Illinois 81st State House District voted Republican was 2004.
How many people live in Illinois 81st State House District?
Illinois 81st State House District has a population of 108,489 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Illinois 81st State House District?
Median household income in Illinois 81st State House District is $120,254 — above the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Illinois 81st State House District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Illinois 81st State House District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 1 went Republican.
