Benton County leans heavily Republican by roughly 30 points: about 35% of voters vote Democratic and 65% Republican.
About 84% of adults in Benton County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Benton County, ~29% vote Democratic, ~55% Republican, and ~16% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Benton County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Benton County leans more Republican than 3 of 9 neighbors.
Benton County runs about 35 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Benton County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Benton County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+63) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+7), a spread of about 56 points.
Why Benton County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Benton County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Benton County votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Benton County runs about 35 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Benton County runs against that pattern.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Benton County, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Benton County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Benton County 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 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Stearns County, MN R+21
- Sherburne County, MN R+29
- Mille Lacs County, MN R+42
- Morrison County, MN R+53
- Wright County, MN R+28
- Meeker County, MN R+44
- Isanti County, MN R+34
- Kanabec County, MN R+44
- Todd County, MN R+50
- Anoka County, MN Even
Counties with Similar Populations
- Tift County, GA R+22
- Tallapoosa County, AL R+39
- Wharton County, TX R+33
- Isanti County, MN R+34
- Baxter County, AR R+51
- McClain County, OK R+60
- Cooke County, TX R+57
- Cheatham County, TN R+55
- Clatsop County, OR D+6
- Tioga County, PA R+50
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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.