55781 leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 55781 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 55781, ~30% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 55781 compares
55781 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
55781 runs about 22 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 55781 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 55781. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+25) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+8), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 55781 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 55781, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 3% of residents in 55781 live in densely developed areas, about 20 points below the Minnesota average of 23%. 55781 runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 55781, MN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 55781 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 55781 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 95% of households in 55781 own their home, about 20 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 98% of adults in 55781 have completed high school, above 94% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Minnesota Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.