56236 is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 64% of adults in 56236 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56236, ~15% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56236 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56236 is the most Republican-leaning.
56236 runs about 57 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56236 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 56236 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 56236, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56236 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56236 runs about 57 points more Republican. Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. Non-Hispanic white share in 56236 is about 96%, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 72%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 80% of households in 56236 are family households, above 91% of zip codes.
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 56236, MN does.
Why turnout in 56236 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56236 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 90% of households in 56236 own their home, above 86% of zip codes. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and more than 99% of adults in 56236 have completed high school, above 98% 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.