Jackson County leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 87% of adults in Jackson County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Jackson County, ~25% vote Democratic, ~61% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Jackson County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Jackson County leans more Republican than 7 of 12 neighbors.
Jackson County runs about 46 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Jackson County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Jackson County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+61) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+28), a spread of about 33 points.
Why Jackson 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 Jackson County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Jackson County votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Jackson County runs about 46 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Jackson County, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in Jackson County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Jackson 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 66%, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 81% of households in Jackson County own their home, above 81% of counties. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 95% of adults in Jackson County have completed high school, above 90% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Cottonwood County, MN R+46
- Dickinson County, IA R+34
- Emmet County, IA R+37
- Nobles County, MN R+28
- Martin County, MN R+38
- Osceola County, IA R+57
- Watonwan County, MN R+29
- Clay County, IA R+34
- Murray County, MN R+54
- Palo Alto County, IA R+44
Counties with Similar Populations
- Yuma County, CO R+60
- Carroll County, MS R+40
- Ochiltree County, TX R+58
- Madison Parish, LA D+6
- Franklin County, IA R+43
- Perry County, AR R+62
- Lewis County, MO R+59
- Keokuk County, IA R+47
- Marshall County, KS R+53
- Nome Census Area, AK D+23
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.