56518 is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 56518 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56518, ~10% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56518 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56518 leans more Republican than 5 of 6 neighbors.
56518 runs about 66 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56518 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 56518 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 56518, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56518 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56518 runs about 66 points more Republican. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 56518 sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 80% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 77% of households in 56518 are family households, above 86% of zip codes.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 56518, MN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 56518 looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, mostly because the housing stress common in those areas makes voting harder. 56518 sits in the top 15% nationally on a violent-crime measure. See CrimeGrade for more details. Strong routine healthcare access lines up with higher turnout, and 56518 sits in the top quarter on routine-care measures. 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.