Hennepin County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 83% of adults in Hennepin County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Hennepin County, ~59% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Hennepin County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Hennepin County is the most Democratic-leaning.
Hennepin County runs about 38 points more Democratic than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Hennepin County. The east side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+68) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+17), a spread of about 52 points.
Why Hennepin 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 Hennepin County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 90% of residents in Hennepin County live in densely developed areas, about 54 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Hennepin County sits in the top quarter (about 53%, above 98% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in Hennepin County have never been married, above 90% of counties.
Population density and Democratic lean
Places with high population density tend to lean Democratic; Hennepin County, MN sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Hennepin County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Hennepin 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 67%, about 7 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Hennepin County have completed high school, above 81% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Ramsey County, MN D+43
- Anoka County, MN Even
- Dakota County, MN D+11
- Carver County, MN R+8
- Scott County, MN R+5
- Washington County, MN D+10
- Wright County, MN R+28
- Sherburne County, MN R+29
- St. Croix County, WI R+20
- Chisago County, MN R+29
Counties with Similar Populations
- Oakland County, MI D+14
- Travis County, TX D+37
- Cuyahoga County, OH D+35
- Allegheny County, PA D+22
- Franklin County, OH D+30
- Salt Lake County, UT D+10
- Nassau County, NY Even
- Contra Costa County, CA D+36
- Fairfax County, VA D+37
- Orange County, FL D+14
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.