56187 leans slightly Republican by roughly 14 points: about 43% of voters vote Democratic and 57% Republican.
About 64% of adults in 56187 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56187, ~27% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56187 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56187 is the least Republican-leaning.
56187 runs about 19 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56187 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56187. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+33) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+7), a spread of about 26 points.
Why 56187 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 56187, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56187 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 64%, far above the Minnesota average of 23%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. 56187 runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 56187, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 56187 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 56187 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 20%, about 13 points above the Minnesota average of 8%. 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.