56535 leans heavily Republican by roughly 46 points: about 27% of voters vote Democratic and 73% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 56535 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56535, ~16% vote Democratic, ~42% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56535 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56535 leans more Republican than 3 of 7 neighbors.
56535 runs about 50 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56535 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56535. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+36), a spread of about 17 points.
Why 56535 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 56535, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56535 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56535 runs about 50 points more Republican. Rural areas with a high white share vote Republican. Non-Hispanic white share in 56535 is about 93%, well above similar-sized zip codes (around 75%).
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; 56535, MN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 56535 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56535 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 64%, above 60% 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.