Motley leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 61% of adults in Motley typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Motley, ~16% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~39% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Motley compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Motley leans more Republican than 13 of 27 neighbors.
Motley runs about 53 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Motley is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Motley. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+56) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+43), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Motley 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 Motley, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Motley votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Motley runs about 53 points more Republican.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; Motley, MN sits below the national average on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Motley looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Motley 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%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Philbrook, MN R+53
- Staples, MN R+48
- Pillager, MN R+47
- Cushing, MN R+43
- Lincoln, MN R+47
- Sylvan, MN R+36
- Leader, MN R+55
- East Gull Lake, MN R+34
- Aldrich, MN R+60
- Crow Wing, MN R+55
Cities with Similar Populations
- Mayetta, KS R+43
- Pioneer, OH R+60
- Walcott, IA R+22
- Riverside, MD D+30
- Southport, IN R+8
- Chaptico, MD R+41
- Conneaut Lake, PA R+42
- Orfordville, WI R+23
- Seminole, AL R+80
- Huntington, UT R+69
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.