HarrisDemocratic60.5%2,518,309TrumpRepublican37.3%1,554,365OtherAll other candidates2.2%92,745
D+23.1- Lead
- 963,944
- Total
- 4,165,419
- vs nation
- D+24.6
Akashicmedia market
Chicago
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
16 counties by 2024 margin · County returns · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic64.4%2,905,962TrumpRepublican33.6%1,515,280OtherAll other candidates2.0%90,920
D+30.8- Lead
- 1,390,682
- Total
- 4,512,162
- vs nation
- D+26.4
ClintonDemocratic62.9%2,594,942TrumpRepublican30.9%1,276,280OtherAll other candidates6.2%254,746
D+32.0- Lead
- 1,318,662
- Total
- 4,125,968
- vs nation
- D+29.9
ObamaDemocratic63.4%2,433,049RomneyRepublican35.0%1,342,668OtherAll other candidates1.6%62,557
D+28.4- Lead
- 1,090,381
- Total
- 3,838,274
- vs nation
- D+24.6
ObamaDemocratic67.0%2,702,602McCainRepublican31.9%1,286,531OtherAll other candidates1.1%44,731
D+35.1- Lead
- 1,416,071
- Total
- 4,033,864
- vs nation
- D+27.8
KerryDemocratic59.6%2,250,932BushRepublican39.7%1,496,928OtherAll other candidates0.7%26,253
D+20.0- Lead
- 754,004
- Total
- 3,774,113
- vs nation
- D+22.4
GoreDemocratic58.7%1,974,624BushRepublican38.6%1,296,366OtherAll other candidates2.7%91,275
D+20.2- Lead
- 678,258
- Total
- 3,362,265
- vs nation
- D+19.7
ClintonDemocratic57.7%1,738,817DoleRepublican34.1%1,026,920OtherAll other candidates8.2%247,990
D+23.6- Lead
- 711,897
- Total
- 3,013,727
- vs nation
- D+15.1
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+23.1MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 9,698,8612024 5-year
- Population density
- 1,039 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 9,333 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $91,2212024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 50.2%2024 5-year
- Black
- 15.5%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 23.6%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+35.1 in 2008MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+51.0 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Philadelphia, PA · twin score 93.0
presidential history
Party record book
Chicago · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
67.0%
2,702,602 votes · D+35.1
Runner-up · Joe Biden, 2020 · 64.4%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
72.3%
826,877 votes · R+51.0
Runner-up · Calvin Coolidge, 1924 · 63.2%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
2,905,962votes
64.4% of the vote · D+30.8
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 2,702,602 votes
Republican
Richard Nixon1972
1,938,319votes
57.6% of the vote · R+15.8
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 1,852,495 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Hillary Clinton2016
+29.9pts D vs U.S.
Place D+32.0 · U.S. D+2.1
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · +27.8 pts
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
+24.8pts R vs U.S.
Place R+51.0 · U.S. R+26.2
Runner-up · Calvin Coolidge, 1924 · +18.8 pts
U.S. House elections · 3 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
On a multi-state Place, each row sums votes cast in the separate U.S. House races held inside the Place that year. It is a geographic vote total, not one contest or a seat tally.
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4,689,310 |
| 2018 | 4,802,169 |
| 2020 | 4,885,892 |
| 2022 | 5,145,357 |
| 2024 | 5,018,552 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
−33,607 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −999,777 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −52,434 |
| 2012 | −50,952 |
| 2013 | −50,553 |
| 2014 | −66,556 |
| 2015 | −83,158 |
| 2016 | −87,936 |
| 2017 | −86,594 |
| 2018 | −84,576 |
| 2019 | −75,885 |
| 2021 | −93,358 |
| 2022 | −124,266 |
| 2023 | −67,303 |
| 2024 | −42,599 |
| 2025 | −33,607 |
Chicago's designated market area delivers the state's largest television audience and anchors Illinois Democrats' statewide math, with Cook County alone casting roughly 40% of the state's total votes in most election cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 35.1 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 51.0 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the market moved 7.7 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 23.1 points.
A population of 9,698,861, a 50% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $91,221 describe the market. The market's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Philadelphia and New York.
Political twins — media markets
The media markets whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
93.0twin score
2000–2024 trajectory≠ Puerto Rican ancestry
New York
New York
92.4twin score
2004–2020 trajectory≠ 12-yr trend
Detroit
Michigan
90.5twin score
2000–2012 trajectory≠ % Latino
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.
Chicago, Illinois. Akashic. https://akashic.app/dma/602/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Chicago
Frequently asked questions
How did Chicago, Illinois vote in 2024?
In 2024, Chicago, Illinois voted Democratic by 23.1 points (D+23.1), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 4,165,419 votes cast, 2,518,309 went Democratic and 1,554,365 went Republican.
When did Chicago, Illinois last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Chicago, Illinois voted Republican was 1988.
How many people live in Chicago, Illinois?
Chicago, Illinois has a population of 9,698,861 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Chicago, Illinois?
Median household income in Chicago, Illinois is $91,221 — above the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Chicago, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Chicago, Illinois from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 18 went Democratic and 15 went Republican.