Nerstrand leans heavily Republican by roughly 32 points: about 34% of voters vote Democratic and 66% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Nerstrand typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nerstrand, ~24% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nerstrand compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Nerstrand leans more Republican than 18 of 52 neighbors.
Nerstrand runs about 37 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Nerstrand is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Nerstrand. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+41) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+17), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Nerstrand 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 Nerstrand, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Nerstrand votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Nerstrand runs about 37 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in Nerstrand are family households, above 78% of cities.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Nerstrand, 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 Nerstrand looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Nerstrand 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 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Homeowners vote more often than renters, and about 93% of households in Nerstrand own their home, about 18 points above the U.S. average of 75%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Nerstrand have completed high school, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dennison, MN R+32
- Moland, MN R+38
- Kenyon, MN R+33
- Sogn, MN R+35
- Stanton, MN R+24
- Dundas, MN R+9
- Ruskin, MN R+40
- Northfield, MN D+24
- Prairieville, MN R+18
- Waterford, MN R+21
Cities with Similar Populations
- Marshes Siding, KY R+77
- Irasburg, VT R+27
- Rhea, AR R+55
- Walton, WV R+64
- Newell, SD R+75
- Tryon, OK R+71
- Heather Glen, CA R+23
- Cowley, WY R+77
- Tennessee City, TN R+63
- Essex, IA R+46
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.