56540 leans heavily Republican by roughly 34 points: about 33% of voters vote Democratic and 67% Republican.
About 91% of adults in 56540 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56540, ~30% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~9% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56540 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56540 leans more Republican than 2 of 6 neighbors.
56540 runs about 39 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56540 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 56540. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+43) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+31), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 56540 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 56540, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56540 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56540 runs about 39 points more Republican.
Food insecurity and voter turnout
Places with low food insecurity tend to turn out at a higher rate; 56540, MN sits below the national average on this measure. Food insecurity does not directly drive turnout; it reflects economic hardship, which lines up with lower voting.
Why turnout in 56540 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 56540 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%. 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.