Oakdale leans Democratic by roughly 16 points: about 58% of voters vote Democratic and 42% Republican.
About 82% of adults in Oakdale typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Oakdale, ~48% vote Democratic, ~34% Republican, and ~18% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Oakdale compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Oakdale leans more Democratic than 53 of 97 neighbors.
Oakdale runs about 12 points more Democratic than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Oakdale. The northwest side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+23) and the east side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+11), a spread of about 12 points.
Why Oakdale 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 Oakdale, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 89% of residents in Oakdale live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Oakdale sits in the top quarter (about 35%, above 82% of cities). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 35% of adults in Oakdale have never been married, above 87% of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Oakdale, MN sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Oakdale looks the way it does
Turnout in Oakdale sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- North St. Paul, MN D+18
- Landfall, MN D+11
- Maplewood, MN D+24
- Lake Elmo, MN D+4
- Pine Springs, MN D+4
- Willernie, MN D+12
- Mahtomedi, MN D+16
- Birchwood Village, MN D+27
- Woodbury, MN D+22
- White Bear Lake, MN D+20
Cities with Similar Populations
- Garden City, MI R+9
- Patterson, CA D+3
- King of Prussia, PA D+25
- Elk River, MN R+19
- North Attleboro, MA D+8
- Temescal Valley, CA R+12
- Pacific Palisades, CA D+34
- Royersford, PA D+5
- Ilchester, MD D+35
- Kirkwood, MO D+20
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.