Itasca County leans Republican by roughly 22 points: about 39% of voters vote Democratic and 61% Republican.
About 77% of adults in Itasca County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Itasca County, ~30% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~23% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Itasca County compares
Itasca County runs about 27 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Itasca County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Itasca County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+32) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+17), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Itasca 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 Itasca County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Itasca County votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Itasca County runs about 27 points more Republican.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Itasca County, MN sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Itasca County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Itasca 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 64%, above 76% of counties. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 83% of households in Itasca County own their home, above 92% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Itasca County have completed high school, above 92% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Aitkin County, MN R+33
- Cass County, MN R+30
- St. Louis County, MN D+12
- Beltrami County, MN R+4
- Carlton County, MN R+12
- Crow Wing County, MN R+29
- Hubbard County, MN R+30
- Koochiching County, MN R+26
- Douglas County, WI Even
- Clearwater County, MN R+46
Counties with Similar Populations
- Chilton County, AL R+69
- Lawrence County, IN R+51
- Polk County, WI R+33
- Shelby County, IN R+47
- Macoupin County, IL R+42
- Washington County, MS D+48
- Branch County, MI R+38
- Wood County, TX R+68
- Henderson County, KY R+33
- Bryan County, GA R+35
All Local Stats
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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.