Ramsey County leans heavily Democratic by roughly 42 points: about 71% of voters vote Democratic and 29% Republican.
About 75% of adults in Ramsey County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ramsey County, ~53% vote Democratic, ~22% Republican, and ~25% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ramsey County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Ramsey County leans more Democratic than 14 of 15 neighbors.
Ramsey County runs about 38 points more Democratic than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Ramsey County. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+64) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+20), a spread of about 45 points.
Why Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 93% of residents in Ramsey County live in densely developed areas, about 57 points above the U.S. average of 36%. High college attainment predicts Democratic voting, and Ramsey County sits in the top quarter (about 45%, above 95% of counties). A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 41% of adults in Ramsey County have never been married, above 94% of counties.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Ramsey County, 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 Ramsey County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Ramsey County 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%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Washington County, MN D+10
- Hennepin County, MN D+43
- Dakota County, MN D+11
- Anoka County, MN Even
- St. Croix County, WI R+20
- Scott County, MN R+5
- Carver County, MN R+8
- Pierce County, WI R+19
- Chisago County, MN R+29
- Wright County, MN R+28
Counties with Similar Populations
- Stanislaus County, CA R+8
- Lancaster County, PA R+17
- Volusia County, FL R+17
- Dane County, WI D+48
- Pasco County, FL R+24
- Guilford County, NC D+30
- Summit County, OH D+10
- Spokane County, WA R+3
- Montgomery County, OH D+6
- Chester County, PA D+14
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.