Pipestone County leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 86% of adults in Pipestone County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Pipestone County, ~22% vote Democratic, ~64% Republican, and ~14% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Pipestone County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Pipestone County leans more Republican than 8 of 11 neighbors.
Pipestone County runs about 52 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Pipestone County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Pipestone County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+73) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 41 points.
Why Pipestone County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Pipestone County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Pipestone County votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while Pipestone County runs about 52 points more Republican.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with homeowner-heavy households tend to turn out at a higher rate; Pipestone County, MN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Pipestone County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 81% of households in Pipestone County own their home, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 75%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Moody County, SD R+40
- Rock County, MN R+45
- Murray County, MN R+54
- Lincoln County, MN R+49
- Brookings County, SD R+25
- Minnehaha County, SD R+10
- Nobles County, MN R+28
- Lyon County, MN R+28
- Lake County, SD R+38
- Lyon County, IA R+65
Counties with Similar Populations
- Rice County, KS R+54
- Deer Lodge County, MT R+18
- Hamilton County, NE R+61
- Latimer County, OK R+66
- Clear Creek County, CO D+21
- Emmet County, IA R+37
- Cheyenne County, NE R+58
- Howard County, IA R+35
- Charles Mix County, SD R+39
- Beaverhead County, MT R+42
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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.