HarrisDemocratic33.2%20,473TrumpRepublican65.1%40,182KennedyIndependent0.7%458
R+31.9- Lead
- 19,709
- Total
- 61,729
- vs nation
- R+30.5
Akashicmetro area
Brainerd, MN
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
2 counties by 2024 margin · County returns · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic34.3%20,068TrumpRepublican63.8%37,296OtherAll other candidates1.9%1,098
R+29.5- Lead
- 17,228
- Total
- 58,462
- vs nation
- R+33.9
ClintonDemocratic30.7%15,931TrumpRepublican62.2%32,269OtherAll other candidates7.0%3,641
R+31.5- Lead
- 16,338
- Total
- 51,841
- vs nation
- R+33.6
ObamaDemocratic42.3%21,618RomneyRepublican55.6%28,372OtherAll other candidates2.1%1,071
R+13.2- Lead
- 6,754
- Total
- 51,061
- vs nation
- R+17.1
ObamaDemocratic44.9%23,135McCainRepublican52.9%27,227OtherAll other candidates2.2%1,110
R+7.9- Lead
- 4,092
- Total
- 51,472
- vs nation
- R+15.2
KerryDemocratic42.1%20,840BushRepublican56.6%27,981OtherAll other candidates1.3%634
R+14.4- Lead
- 7,141
- Total
- 49,455
- vs nation
- R+12.0
GoreDemocratic40.2%16,789BushRepublican53.1%22,169OtherAll other candidates6.6%2,763
R+12.9- Lead
- 5,380
- Total
- 41,721
- vs nation
- R+13.4
ClintonDemocratic44.9%16,593DoleRepublican40.2%14,886OtherAll other candidates14.9%5,513
D+4.6- Lead
- 1,707
- Total
- 36,992
- vs nation
- R+3.9
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+31.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 98,6782024 5-year
- Population density
- 33 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 3,020 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $71,4222024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 89.3%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.5%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 1.7%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+26.4 in 1936MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+63.5 in 1904MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Rice Lake, WI · twin score 85.4
presidential history
Party record book
Brainerd, MN · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson1964
62.6%
13,832 votes · D+25.3
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 · 61.1%
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
76.2%
3,328 votes · R+63.5
Runner-up · Warren G. Harding, 1920 · 70.4%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
23,135votes
44.9% of the vote · R+7.9
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2012 · 21,618 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
40,182votes
65.1% of the vote · R+31.9
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 37,296 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
George McGovern1972
+11.2pts D vs U.S.
Place R+12.0 · U.S. R+23.2
Runner-up · Harry S. Truman, 1948 · +10.3 pts
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
+43.8pts R vs U.S.
Place R+63.5 · U.S. R+19.7
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · +33.9 pts
U.S. House elections · 2 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 33.3%19,993 | 66.7%40,116 | 60,109 |
| 2020 | R | 34.6%12,993 | 65.4%24,546 | 37,539 |
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 61,362 |
| 2018 | 60,745 |
| 2020 | 67,429 |
| 2022 | 68,353 |
| 2024 | 72,558 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
+716 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +8,429 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −393 |
| 2012 | −26 |
| 2013 | +199 |
| 2014 | +32 |
| 2015 | +176 |
| 2016 | +711 |
| 2017 | +916 |
| 2018 | +744 |
| 2019 | +598 |
| 2021 | +1,935 |
| 2022 | +1,425 |
| 2023 | +778 |
| 2024 | +618 |
| 2025 | +716 |
The Brainerd lakes region, anchored by a paper-mill and tourism economy, has swung sharply toward Republican presidential candidates since 2008, making Crow Wing County a reliable bellwether for outstate Minnesota's political drift.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 26.4 points in 1936 and a Republican high of 63.5 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 2.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 31.9 points.
A population of 98,678, a 89% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $71,422 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Rice Lake, WI and Alexandria, MN.
Political twins — metros
The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Rice Lake, WI
85.4twin score
Norwegian ancestry% Whitemedian age
Alexandria, MN
80.9twin score
Norwegian ancestry12-yr trend% White≠ % unaffiliated
Detroit Lakes, MN
79.6twin score
Norwegian ancestry12-yr trend% Latino≠ % unaffiliated
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Brainerd, MN, Minnesota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/14660/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Brainerd, MN
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Frequently asked questions
How did Brainerd, MN, Minnesota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Brainerd, MN, Minnesota voted Republican by 31.9 points (R+31.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 61,729 votes cast, 20,473 went Democratic and 40,182 went Republican.
When did Brainerd, MN, Minnesota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Brainerd, MN, Minnesota voted Democratic was 1996.
How many people live in Brainerd, MN, Minnesota?
Brainerd, MN, Minnesota has a population of 98,678 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Brainerd, MN, Minnesota?
Median household income in Brainerd, MN, Minnesota is $71,422 — below the national median of $80,734. The Minnesota state median is $89,062.
What is the political history of Brainerd, MN, Minnesota?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Brainerd, MN, Minnesota from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 11 went Democratic and 22 went Republican.