Heron Lake is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 42% of adults in Heron Lake typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Heron Lake, ~9% vote Democratic, ~32% Republican, and ~59% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Heron Lake compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Heron Lake leans more Republican than 19 of 26 neighbors.
Heron Lake runs about 61 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Heron Lake is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Heron Lake 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 Heron Lake, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Heron Lake votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Heron Lake runs about 61 points more Republican.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Heron Lake, MN sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Heron Lake looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Heron Lake 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Okabena, MN R+59
- Wilder, MN R+52
- Dundee, MN R+55
- Kinbrae, MN R+52
- Brewster, MN R+52
- Windom, MN R+35
- Lakefield, MN R+44
- Lime Creek, MN R+55
- Fulda, MN R+56
- Storden, MN R+60
Cities with Similar Populations
- Sunrise Beach Village, TX R+56
- New Middletown, IN R+51
- Glen, NH Even
- Alpha, VA R+20
- Strang, OK R+63
- Norman, IN R+66
- West Milton, PA R+40
- Graton, CA D+55
- Hardy, KY R+69
- Pocasset, OK R+71
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.