56517 is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 50% of adults in 56517 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56517, ~11% vote Democratic, ~39% Republican, and ~50% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56517 compares
56517 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
56517 runs about 59 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56517 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 56517 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 56517, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56517 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56517 runs about 59 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and 56517 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 86% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 56517 are family households, above 75% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 56517, MN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 56517 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56517 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 70%, about 10 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.