56216 is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 56216 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56216, ~11% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56216 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56216 leans more Republican than 6 of 8 neighbors.
56216 runs about 65 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56216 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56216. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+62) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 56216 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 56216, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 56216, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the Minnesota average of 28%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 56216 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 6%, below 76% of zip codes). 56216 runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 56216, MN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 56216 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56216 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%. 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.