56285 leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 56285 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56285, ~19% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56285 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56285 leans more Republican than 1 of 9 neighbors.
56285 runs about 44 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56285 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56285. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+56) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+37), a spread of about 19 points.
Why 56285 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 56285, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 56285 live in densely developed areas, about 18 points below the Minnesota average of 23%. 56285 runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 56285, MN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 56285 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 88% of households in 56285 own their home, about 6 points above the Minnesota average of 82%. 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.