Nicollet leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Nicollet typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nicollet, ~19% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nicollet compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Nicollet leans more Republican than 24 of 42 neighbors.
Nicollet runs about 46 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Nicollet is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Nicollet 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 Nicollet, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Nicollet votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Nicollet runs about 46 points more Republican.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Nicollet, MN sits below the national average on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Nicollet looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Nicollet 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%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Nicollet have completed high school, above 80% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Oshawa, MN R+39
- Judson, MN R+34
- Courtland, MN R+51
- Traverse, MN R+25
- North Mankato, MN R+2
- St. Peter, MN Even
- Klossner, MN R+50
- Kasota, MN R+26
- Lake Crystal, MN R+23
- Skyline, MN R+9
Cities with Similar Populations
- Raglesville, IN R+78
- Lakemont, GA R+59
- Dryden, WA R+33
- Rockland, WI R+29
- Worley, ID R+34
- Hollyhill, KY R+26
- Evans, WV R+54
- Wellsburg, NY R+41
- Inez, KY R+74
- Durhamville, NY R+39
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.