57197 leans slightly Democratic by roughly 12 points: about 56% of voters vote Democratic and 44% Republican.
About 44% of adults in 57197 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 57197, ~25% vote Democratic, ~19% Republican, and ~56% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 57197 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 57197 is the most Democratic-leaning.
57197 runs about 42 points more Democratic than South Dakota as a whole. South Dakota leans Republican overall, while 57197 is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Why 57197 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 57197, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in 57197 live in densely developed areas, about 64 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 70% of adults in 57197 have never been married, in the top fraction of zip codes. 57197 runs against the grain of South Dakota, a Democratic-leaning pocket in a Republican-leaning state.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; 57197, SD sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 57197 looks the way it does
Turnout in 57197 sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. 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 South Dakota 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.