Park Rapids leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 81% of adults in Park Rapids typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Park Rapids, ~29% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~19% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Park Rapids compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Park Rapids leans more Republican than 2 of 18 neighbors.
Park Rapids runs about 31 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Park Rapids is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Park Rapids. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+37) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Park Rapids 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 Park Rapids, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Park Rapids votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 31%, modestly above the Minnesota average of 23%). Here an older population outweighs the Democratic lean that density usually predicts. Park Rapids runs against the grain of Minnesota, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Park Rapids, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Park Rapids looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Park Rapids 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 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Dorset, MN R+29
- Hubbard, MN R+38
- Nevis, MN R+31
- Osage, MN R+51
- Midway, MN R+58
- Menahga, MN R+47
- Wolf Lake, MN R+59
- Lake George, MN R+37
- Akeley, MN R+31
- Ponsford, MN D+6
Cities with Similar Populations
- Brighton, TN R+65
- Lakes, AK R+31
- Park City, UT D+37
- Irvington, NY D+40
- Saluda, SC R+22
- Hamburg, NJ R+18
- Parkville, PA R+26
- Cedarhurst, NY R+61
- Adel, IA R+33
- Palmetto, GA D+20
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.