Sawyer is a true toss-up. About 50% of voters here vote Democratic and 50% Republican.
About 58% of adults in Sawyer typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sawyer, ~29% vote Democratic, ~29% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sawyer compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Sawyer sits roughly in the middle of the political spectrum, with 3 neighbors leaning further in the place's direction and 30 leaning the other way.
Sawyer runs about 5 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Sawyer. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+28) and the northwest side runs the most Republican (R+29), a spread of about 57 points.
Why Sawyer leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Sawyer. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Sawyer, MN sits in the bottom tenth 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 Sawyer looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 4% of homes in Sawyer have more than one occupant per room, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Iverson, MN D+3
- Cromwell, MN R+28
- Cloquet, MN R+4
- Brookston, MN R+2
- Mahtowa, MN R+26
- Carlton, MN R+22
- Scanlon, MN R+10
- Barnum, MN R+24
- Blackhoof, MN R+19
- Thomson, MN R+14
Cities with Similar Populations
- Low Moor, IA R+44
- Isabella, OK R+76
- Radom, IL R+57
- Tschetter Colony, SD R+67
- Orange Springs, FL R+61
- Seigler Springs, CA D+4
- Taftsville, VT D+35
- Cary, MS D+19
- Treadwell, NY R+20
- Wamic, OR R+42
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.