56581 leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 46% of adults in 56581 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 56581, ~13% vote Democratic, ~33% Republican, and ~54% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 56581 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 56581 leans more Republican than 4 of 7 neighbors.
56581 runs about 46 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56581 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why 56581 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 56581, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
56581 votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while 56581 runs about 46 points more Republican.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; 56581, MN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 56581 looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 5% of homes in 56581 have more than one occupant per room, above 84% 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.