56461 leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 78% of adults in 56461 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56461, ~27% vote Democratic, ~51% Republican, and ~22% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56461 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56461 leans more Republican than 2 of 3 neighbors.
56461 runs about 37 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56461 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56461. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+39) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+23), a spread of about 15 points.
Why 56461 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 56461, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56461 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56461 runs about 37 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 56461, MN sits in the bottom quarter 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 56461 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56461 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 92% of households in 56461 own their home, about 17 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in 56461 have completed high school, above 82% 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.