Brainerd is a Democratic stronghold. About 92% of voters here vote Democratic and 8% Republican.
About 62% of adults in Brainerd typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Brainerd, ~57% vote Democratic, ~5% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Brainerd compares
Among neighborhoods within 5 miles, Brainerd leans more Democratic than 30 of 36 neighbors.
Brainerd runs about 73 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Why Brainerd leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per neighborhood to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Brainerd, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. More than 99% of residents in Brainerd 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 55% of adults in Brainerd have never been married, above 88% of neighborhoods.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Brainerd, Chicago, IL sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Brainerd looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 32% of adults in Brainerd report food insecurity, about 16 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Auburn Gresham, Chicago, IL D+84
- South Englewood, Chicago, IL D+83
- Chester Highlands, Chicago, IL D+83
- Washington Heights, Chicago, IL D+85
- Auburn Park, Chicago, IL D+82
- Beverly, Chicago, IL D+50
- Chatham, Chicago, IL D+85
- Becks Park, Chicago, IL D+80
- West Englewood, Chicago, IL D+79
- Roseland, Chicago, IL D+84
Neighborhoods with Similar Populations
- Cross Fletcher, University, FL D+35
- Far Westside, Syracuse, NY D+27
- Felida-Starcrest, Vancouver, WA D+16
- Lower Bal, San Leandro, CA D+39
- Solivita, Poinciana, FL Even
- Napili-Honokowai, Lahaina, HI D+18
- East Springfield, Springfield, MA D+19
- Craven, Jacksonville, FL R+3
- Londontowne, Edgewater, MD Even
- Loretto, Jacksonville, FL R+24
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois State Board of 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.