South Branch is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 59% of adults in South Branch typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in South Branch, ~13% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How South Branch compares
Among cities within 25 miles, South Branch leans more Republican than 32 of 37 neighbors.
South Branch runs about 60 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while South Branch is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why South Branch 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 South Branch, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
South Branch votes against the grain of Minnesota. Minnesota leans Democratic overall, while South Branch runs about 60 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in South Branch are family households, above 78% of cities.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; South Branch, MN sits below the national average on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in South Branch looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. South Branch 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 64%, above 65% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Ormsby, MN R+50
- Lewisville, MN R+56
- Truman, MN R+44
- St. James, MN R+24
- Grogan, MN R+48
- Odin, MN R+47
- Northrop, MN R+53
- Trimont, MN R+47
- Willow Creek, MN R+48
- La Salle, MN R+43
Cities with Similar Populations
- Zena, NY D+60
- Wilson, KY R+51
- Nilwood, IL R+53
- Dryfork, AR R+67
- Granjeno, TX R+12
- Cord, AR R+72
- Hitchcock, IN R+63
- Winifred, MT R+74
- Grangeburg, AL R+45
- Juniper Springs, CA R+34
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.