McLeod County leans heavily Republican by roughly 40 points: about 30% of voters vote Democratic and 70% Republican.
About 85% of adults in McLeod County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McLeod County, ~26% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~15% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McLeod County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, McLeod County leans more Republican than 10 of 13 neighbors.
McLeod County runs about 44 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while McLeod County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within McLeod County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+62) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+29), a spread of about 33 points.
Why McLeod 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 McLeod County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
McLeod County votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while McLeod County runs about 44 points more Republican.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; McLeod County, MN sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in McLeod County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. McLeod 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 68%, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in McLeod County have completed high school, above 80% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Sibley County, MN R+48
- Meeker County, MN R+44
- Carver County, MN R+8
- Wright County, MN R+28
- Renville County, MN R+49
- Scott County, MN R+5
- Le Sueur County, MN R+32
- Kandiyohi County, MN R+29
- Nicollet County, MN R+9
- Brown County, MN R+37
Counties with Similar Populations
- Escambia County, AL R+38
- Chippewa County, MI R+11
- Hopkins County, TX R+61
- Dyer County, TN R+47
- Geary County, KS R+16
- Putnam County, IN R+46
- Whitley County, KY R+68
- Okmulgee County, OK R+40
- Sagadahoc County, ME D+8
- Huntington County, IN R+45
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.