Whiteside County, Illinois

2024 results by precinct

60 precincts · 26,447 votes cast

Trump · R+15

Harris +50

Trump +50

Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.

38 presidential elections

Year	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	−14.7%	11,012	14,898	26,447
2020	R	−8.3%	12,253	14,527	27,433
2016	R	−6.2%	11,035	12,615	25,582
2012	D	+17.0%	14,833	10,448	25,828
2008	D	+17.6%	15,607	10,883	26,906
2004	D	+2.8%	13,723	12,959	26,873
2000	D	+6.6%	12,886	11,252	24,837
1996	D	+13.1%	11,913	8,859	23,344
1992	D	+8.0%	12,329	10,146	27,153
1988	R	−6.7%	11,328	12,978	24,462
1984	R	−19.6%	11,226	16,743	28,096
1980	R	−39.1%	7,191	17,389	26,064
1976	R	−11.8%	11,255	14,308	25,854
1972	R	−37.1%	7,909	17,305	25,301
1968	R	−28.7%	8,132	15,177	24,534
1964	R	−1.6%	12,536	12,940	25,476
1960	R	−31.3%	9,112	17,434	26,592
1956	R	−48.1%	6,158	17,589	23,784
1952	R	−46.8%	6,238	17,294	23,599
1948	R	−41.5%	5,299	12,922	18,375
1944	R	−43.3%	5,555	14,162	19,888
1940	R	−36.1%	7,356	15,752	23,242
1936	R	−22.0%	7,982	12,666	21,243
1932	R	−23.5%	7,010	11,388	18,626
1928	R	−53.6%	4,079	13,580	17,728
1924	R	−61.5%	1,957	11,532	15,576
1920	R	−67.3%	1,927	10,923	13,363
1916	R	−42.8%	3,839	10,045	14,493
1912	D	+7.2%	1,996	1,437	7,711
1908	R	−39.0%	2,140	5,257	7,997
1904	R	−51.6%	1,546	5,636	7,919
1900	R	−33.4%	2,758	5,663	8,687
1896	R	−32.7%	2,788	5,577	8,524
1892	R	−14.7%	2,779	3,819	7,072
1888	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	No data	—	—	—

Demographics

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry

Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.

American

100.0%

African American

1.0%

Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.

Sample size too small to break out by ancestry reliably.

American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.

Age distribution by sex

Median age: 43.0 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

1.1%

85+

1.6%

2.8%

75–84

3.7%

6.1%

65–74

6.4%

6.9%

55–64

7.2%

6.2%

45–54

5.9%

5.6%

35–44

5.6%

5.7%

25–34

5.4%

4.1%

18–24

3.6%

8.4%

5–17

8.1%

2.9%

2.6%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Median household income

2024 inflation-adjusted dollars

$67,500

Whiteside County ranks near the middle of US counties.

Whiteside County$67,500

Illinois$83,390

United States$80,734

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

12.0%

Children face moderate poverty.

Children under 1818.0%

Working age (18–64)100.0%

Seniors (65+)18.0%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

0.0%

speak English only

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Catholic & Orthodox

25.7%

Mainline Protestant

14.7%

Other Christian

13.4%

Methodist

5.7%

Pentecostal & Holiness

2.0%

Baptist

1.2%

Non-Christian

0.1%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 37.2% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

Whiteside County, anchored by Sterling and Rock Falls along the Rock River, has shifted roughly 20 points toward Republican presidential candidates over the past two decades, mirroring the broader realignment of small industrial communities across the upper Midwest.

The Democratic margin in Whiteside County has rarely exceeded eighteen points in modern history; the Republican margin has rarely exceeded sixty-seven points. 2024 delivered the county to the Republican candidate by fifteen points.

Whiteside County's demographics resemble the country more than they resemble most counties. A 85% non-Hispanic-white share, a 12% poverty rate, and a median household income of $67,500 — all within the broad national range. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lafayette County and LaPorte County.

Most similar counties

Whiteside County votes the way the country votes.