Grand Rapids leans Republican by roughly 16 points: about 42% of voters vote Democratic and 58% Republican.
About 85% of adults in Grand Rapids typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Grand Rapids, ~36% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Grand Rapids compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Grand Rapids leans more Republican than 1 of 23 neighbors.
Grand Rapids runs about 20 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Grand Rapids is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Grand Rapids. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+25) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+8), a spread of about 17 points.
Why Grand Rapids leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Grand Rapids, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Grand Rapids votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 37%, modestly above the Minnesota average of 23%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here. Grand Rapids runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Grand Rapids, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Grand Rapids looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Grand Rapids 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- La Prairie, MN R+24
- Coleraine, MN R+29
- Cohasset, MN R+29
- Bovey, MN R+28
- Taconite, MN R+30
- Marble, MN R+29
- Warba, MN R+24
- Calumet, MN R+27
- Zemple, MN R+27
- Hill City, MN R+37
Cities with Similar Populations
- Fitzgerald, GA R+14
- Rhinelander, WI R+15
- Dunellen, NJ D+6
- Millbrook, AL R+28
- Barre, VT D+3
- Chester Springs, PA D+17
- Cumberland, RI D+7
- Stallings, NC R+18
- Bay Village, OH D+18
- Lindale, TX R+63
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.