56257 is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 64% of adults in 56257 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56257, ~15% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56257 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56257 leans more Republican than 1 of 4 neighbors.
56257 runs about 57 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56257 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56257. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+58) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+38), a spread of about 20 points.
Why 56257 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 56257, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 56257, about 98% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 26 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%. 56257 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; 56257, 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 56257 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56257 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 96% of adults in 56257 have completed high school, above 81% 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.