56017 leans heavily Republican by roughly 36 points: about 32% of voters vote Democratic and 68% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 56017 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56017, ~23% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56017 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56017 leans more Republican than 11 of 12 neighbors.
56017 runs about 40 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56017 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56017. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+44) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+24), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 56017 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 56017, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56017 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56017 runs about 40 points more Republican.
High-school completion, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as 56017, MN does.
Why turnout in 56017 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56017 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 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 97% of adults in 56017 have completed high school, above 90% 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.