Akashic

county

Wadena County, MN

Office (updates table and map)

President margin by year

Place winner margin

1892–2024 · D minus R

Full record · 1892 → 2024

2024

Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab

People and households

Who lives here

Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.

Race · ethnicity · ancestry

Communities and origins

German32.7%29.2%12.5%

Norwegian12.8%12.1%—

Finnish11.8%——

Irish7.0%9.9%9.4%

Swedish6.2%6.5%—

English5.2%6.6%9.5%

American3.7%2.3%5.3%

Polish2.1%3.7%2.2%

Mexican1.9%3.9%11.3%

Puerto Rican0.2%0.3%1.8%

African American†1.3%3.8%9.9%

African0.3%0.5%0.5%

Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.

Age and life stage

Measure	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Median age	40	39	39.1
Age 18–24	7.1%	8.8%	9.2%
Age 65 and older	20.2%	17.2%	17.2%

Household economy

Measure	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Median household income	$61,467	$89,062	$84,427
Poverty rate	12.5%	9.3%	12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)	19.8%	39.4%	35.6%

Languages at home

Measure	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Speaks a non-English language at home	2.6%	12.5%	22.3%

Religious landscape

Measure	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Catholic	12.2%	19.5%	18.6%
Evangelical Protestant	26.9%	11.8%	16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted	44.8%	50.6%	51.5%
Mainline Protestant	13.9%	13.5%	5.2%

American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.

President results by year

2024 turnout 77.2% of 10,482 citizens 18+

HarrisDemocratic23.6%1,898TrumpRepublican74.9%6,028KennedyIndependent0.8%65

R+51.3

Lead: 4,130
Total: 8,047
vs nation: R+49.9
Turnout: 77.2%

BidenDemocratic26.4%2,023TrumpRepublican71.9%5,520JorgensenLibertarian0.7%54

R+45.6

Lead: 3,497
Total: 7,677
vs nation: R+50.0
Turnout: 77.1%

ClintonDemocratic24.3%1,684TrumpRepublican69.8%4,837JohnsonLibertarian2.4%164

R+45.5

Lead: 3,153
Total: 6,934
vs nation: R+47.6
Turnout: 67.7%

ObamaDemocratic36.7%2,492RomneyRepublican61.0%4,143GRAYLibertarian1.0%65

R+24.3

Lead: 1,651
Total: 6,791
vs nation: R+28.2
Turnout: —

ObamaDemocratic40.2%2,882McCainRepublican57.6%4,128OtherAll other candidates2.2%159

R+17.4

Lead: 1,246
Total: 7,169
vs nation: R+24.7
Turnout: —

KerryDemocratic39.3%2,791BushRepublican59.4%4,214OtherAll other candidates1.2%88

R+20.1

Lead: 1,423
Total: 7,093
vs nation: R+17.6
Turnout: —

GoreDemocratic35.3%2,251BushRepublican58.5%3,733NaderGreen4.0%253

R+23.2

Lead: 1,482
Total: 6,382
vs nation: R+23.7
Turnout: —

ClintonDemocratic41.1%2,480DoleRepublican44.6%2,696PerotReform13.3%801

R+3.6

Lead: 216
Total: 6,040
vs nation: R+12.1
Turnout: —

Key facts

2024 presidential margin: R+51.3MIT Election Lab
Population: 14,2562024 5-year
Median household income: $61,4672024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic): 86.1%2024 5-year
Black: 1.7%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino: 2.4%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin: D+17.7 in 1932MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin: R+69.0 in 1904MIT Election Lab
Most similar: Clark County, SD · twin score 90.2

Participation

Midterm durability

Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.

2024 total turnout: 77.2%8,094 participants ÷ 10,482 CVAP
2020→2022 drop-off: +18.4 ptsVolatile
Drop-off versus state: -1.6 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
Mechanical 2026 scenario: 58.9%–61.6%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast

Election	Participants	CVAP	Turnout	Quality
2016 · Presidential	7,023	10,367	67.7%	A/A
2018 · Midterm	5,595	10,214	54.8%	A/A
2020 · Presidential	7,715	10,005	77.1%	A/A
2022 · Midterm	6,019	10,244	58.8%	A/A
2024 · Presidential	8,094	10,482	77.2%	A/A

Sources and methods

2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 293/111.
2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 297/138.
2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 301/2.
2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 306/183.
2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-v1:observed:native; allocation share 0.0%; series 311/228.

Precinct data

Results by precinct

48 precincts · 8,047 votes

Election

Precinct boundaries and identifiers are cycle-specific. This table does not join rows across years without a validated crosswalk.

Wadena County precinct-level presidential election results for 2024

Precinct -WADENA P-3WADENA P-3	268	536	11	815	32.9%	65.8%	R+32.9
Precinct -MENAHGAMENAHGA	202	577	12	791	25.5%	72.9%	R+47.4
Precinct -WADENA P-1WADENA P-1	177	447	9	633	28.0%	70.6%	R+42.7
Precinct -WADENA P-2WADENA P-2	164	405	4	573	28.6%	70.7%	R+42.1
Precinct -BLUEBERRY TWPBLUEBERRY TWP	124	433	8	565	21.9%	76.6%	R+54.7
Precinct -WADENA TWPWADENA TWP	104	446	5	555	18.7%	80.4%	R+61.6
Precinct -THOMASTOWN TWPTHOMASTOWN TWP	147	400	5	552	26.6%	72.5%	R+45.8
Precinct -STAPLESSTAPLES	136	272	14	422	32.2%	64.5%	R+32.2
Precinct -SEBEKASEBEKA	97	281	7	385	25.2%	73.0%	R+47.8
Precinct -ALDRICH TWPALDRICH TWP	43	253	3	299	14.4%	84.6%	R+70.2
Precinct -VERNDALEVERNDALE	56	234	2	292	19.2%	80.1%	R+61.0
Precinct -LEAF RIVER TWPLEAF RIVER TWP	47	233	6	286	16.4%	81.5%	R+65.0
Precinct -WING RIVER TWPWING RIVER TWP	36	250	0	286	12.6%	87.4%	R+74.8
Precinct -RED EYE TWPRED EYE TWP	53	221	6	280	18.9%	78.9%	R+60.0
Precinct -ROCKWOOD TWPROCKWOOD TWP	53	194	3	250	21.2%	77.6%	R+56.4
Precinct -NORTH GERMANY TWPNORTH GERMANY TWP	21	166	4	191	11.0%	86.9%	R+75.9
Precinct -SHELL RIVER TWPSHELL RIVER TWP	43	129	4	176	24.4%	73.3%	R+48.9
Precinct -BULLARD TWPBULLARD TWP	22	120	9	151	14.6%	79.5%	R+64.9
Precinct -MEADOW TWPMEADOW TWP	23	125	3	151	15.2%	82.8%	R+67.5
Precinct -ORTON TWPORTON TWP	30	99	3	132	22.7%	75.0%	R+52.3
Precinct -LYONS TWPLYONS TWP	13	103	0	116	11.2%	88.8%	R+77.6
Precinct -HUNTERSVILLE TWPHUNTERSVILLE TWP	21	51	3	75	28.0%	68.0%	R+40.0
Precinct -NIMRODNIMROD	12	35	0	47	25.5%	74.5%	R+48.9
Precinct -ALDRICH CITYALDRICH CITY	6	18	0	24	25.0%	75.0%	R+50.0
Aldrich Twp. Voting District27_271590010	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Aldrich Voting District27_271590005	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Blueberry Twp. Voting District27_271590015	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Bullard Twp. Voting District27_271590020	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Huntersville Twp. Voting District27_271590025	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Leaf River Twp. Voting District27_271590030	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Lyons Twp. Voting District27_271590035	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Meadow Twp. Voting District27_271590040	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Menahga Voting District27_271590045	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Nimrod Voting District27_271590050	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
North Germany Twp. Voting District27_271590055	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Orton Twp. Voting District27_271590060	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Red Eye Twp. Voting District27_271590065	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Rockwood Twp. Voting District27_271590070	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Sebeka Voting District27_271590075	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Shell River Twp. Voting District27_271590080	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Staples Voting District27_271590085	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Thomastown Twp. Voting District27_271590090	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Verndale Voting District27_271590095	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Wadena P-127_271590100	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Wadena P-227_271590105	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Wadena P-327_271590110	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Wadena Twp. Voting District27_271590120	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes
Wing River Twp. Voting District27_271590125	0	0	0	0	—	—	No votes

presidential history

Presidential margin, 1892–2024

Democratic minus Republican, by election

Presidential margin over time
Year	Margin (D minus R)
1892	−12.2%
1896	−23.6%
1900	−34.7%
1904	−69.0%
1908	−33.6%
1912	+4.4%
1916	−16.6%
1920	−61.1%
1924	−49.6%
1928	−30.9%
1932	+17.7%
1936	+15.2%
1940	−9.2%
1944	−17.3%
1948	+5.8%
1952	−37.4%
1956	−27.2%
1960	−15.8%
1964	+9.2%
1968	−13.3%
1972	−16.4%
1976	+1.8%
1980	−20.5%
1984	−27.3%
1988	−19.8%
1992	−2.4%
1996	−3.6%
2000	−23.2%
2004	−20.1%
2008	−17.4%
2012	−24.3%
2016	−45.5%
2020	−45.6%
2024	−51.3%

DemocraticRepublican

38 presidential elections

Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle; not shown when either cycle is estimated or under source review. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year.
Year	Won	Democratic	Republican	Other	Margin	Swing	vs U.S.	Total
2024	R	23.6%Harris1,898	74.9%Trump6,028	0.8%Kennedy65 +7	R+51.3	R+5.8	R+49.9	8,047
All 10 candidates in 2024 · 8 minor / independent Donald J TrumpRepublican74.9%6,028 Kamala D HarrisDemocratic23.6%1,898 Robert F KennedyIndependent0.8%65 OtherAll other candidates0.3%23 Chase OliverLibertarian0.1%11 Jill SteinIndependent0.1%8 Shiva AyyaduraiIndependent0.1%8 Cornel WestIndependent0.0%4 Claudia De La CruzIndependent0.0%1 Rachele FruitIndependent0.0%1
2020	R	26.4%Biden2,023	71.9%Trump5,520	0.7%Jorgensen54	R+45.6	R+0.1	R+50.0	7,677
2016	R	24.3%Clinton1,684	69.8%Trump4,837	2.4%Johnson164	R+45.5	R+21.2	R+47.6	6,934
2012	R	36.7%Obama2,492	61.0%Romney4,143	1.0%GRAY65	R+24.3	R+6.9	R+28.2	6,791
2008	R	40.2%Obama2,882	57.6%McCain4,128	2.2%	R+17.4	D+2.7	R+24.7	7,169
2004	R	39.3%Kerry2,791	59.4%Bush4,214	1.2%	R+20.1	D+3.2	R+17.6	7,093
2000	R	35.3%Gore2,251	58.5%Bush3,733	4.0%Nader253	R+23.2	R+19.6	R+23.7	6,382
1996	R	41.1%Clinton2,480	44.6%Dole2,696	13.3%Perot801	R+3.6	R+1.2	R+12.1	6,040
1992	R	36.6%Clinton2,340	38.9%Bush2,492	24.0%Perot1,535	R+2.4	D+17.5	R+7.9	6,398
1988	R	39.4%Dukakis2,484	59.3%Bush3,733	1.3%	R+19.8	D+7.4	R+12.1	6,299
1984	R	36.1%Mondale2,454	63.4%Reagan4,306	0.5%	R+27.3	R+6.8	R+9.0	6,792
1980	R	37.1%Carter2,635	57.6%Reagan4,089	5.3%	R+20.5	R+22.3	R+10.7	7,103
1976	D	49.3%Carter3,164	47.4%Ford3,048	3.3%	D+1.8	D+18.2	R+0.3	6,424
1972	R	40.7%McGovern2,430	57.0%Nixon3,408	2.3%	R+16.4	R+3.1	D+6.8	5,974
1968	R	40.8%Humphrey2,198	54.1%Nixon2,912	5.1%	R+13.3	R+22.4	R+12.6	5,386
1964	D	54.5%Johnson2,908	45.3%Goldwater2,418	0.1%	D+9.2	D+25.0	R+13.4	5,334
1960	R	42.0%Kennedy2,240	57.8%Nixon3,082	0.1%	R+15.8	D+11.4	R+16.0	5,329
1956	R	36.4%Stevenson1,733	63.5%Eisenhower3,028	0.1%	R+27.2	D+10.2	R+11.8	4,767
1952	R	31.2%Stevenson1,665	68.5%Eisenhower3,662	0.3%	R+37.4	R+43.2	R+26.6	5,343
1948	D	52.0%Truman2,556	46.2%Dewey2,272	1.8%	D+5.8	D+23.1	D+1.3	4,917
1944	R	41.2%Roosevelt1,868	58.5%Dewey2,653	0.4%	R+17.3	R+8.1	R+24.8	4,537
1940	R	45.0%Roosevelt2,405	54.3%Willkie2,898	0.7%	R+9.2	R+24.4	R+19.2	5,340
1936	D	56.0%Roosevelt2,605	40.8%Landon1,898	3.1%	D+15.2	R+2.5	R+9.1	4,649
1932	D	57.1%Roosevelt2,300	39.3%Hoover1,585	3.6%	D+17.7	D+48.6	±0.0	4,030
1928	R	33.2%Smith1,343	64.1%Hoover2,592	2.7%	R+30.9	D+18.7	R+13.4	4,044
1924	R	5.3%Davis182	54.8%Coolidge1,900	36.5%La Follette1,265	R+49.6	D+11.6	R+24.4	3,465
1920	R	14.4%Cox503	75.6%Harding2,635	10.0%	R+61.1	R+44.5	R+35.0	3,487
1916	R	37.7%Wilson651	54.3%Hughes938	8.0%	R+16.6	R+21.0	R+19.8	1,727
1912	O	25.3%Wilson336	20.9%Taft278	53.8%	Roosevelt +28.6	D+38.0	R+15.2	1,330
1908	R	30.0%Bryan467	63.6%Taft991	6.5%	R+33.6	D+35.4	R+24.1	1,559
1904	R	13.5%Parker190	82.5%Roosevelt1,159	3.9%	R+69.0	R+34.3	R+49.4	1,404
1900	R	31.0%Bryan448	65.7%McKinley949	3.3%	R+34.7	R+11.1	R+27.1	1,445
1896	R	37.1%Bryan534	60.7%McKinley874	2.3%	R+23.6	R+11.4	R+17.5	1,441
1892	R	33.2%Cleveland332	45.4%Harrison454	21.5%	R+12.2	—	R+13.8	1,001
1888	—	—	—	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	—	—	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	—	—	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	—	—	—	No data	—	—	—

Federal and statewide elections · 3 House · 38 Senate · 2 Senate special · 12 governor

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.

Source · Akashic actual-race rollup from certified returns, House; geographic aggregation.
Year	Vote lead	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	23.1%1,802	76.9%5,989	7,791
2020	R	26.6%1,887	73.4%5,213	7,100
2018	R	24.7%20	75.3%61	81

U.S. Senate

Each row shows U.S. Senate votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.

Sources · MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL); Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC BY 4.0 / CC0 1.0.
Year	Vote lead	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	30.4%2,398	67.1%5,295	7,892
2020Class II	R	26.1%Tina Smith1,977	66.5%Jason Lewis5,041	7,578
2018Class I	R	36.8%Amy Klobuchar2,044	60.9%Jim Newberger3,379	5,550
2014Class II	R	39.8%Al Franken2,041	55.4%Mike McFadden2,841	5,124
2012Class I	D	53.8%Amy Klobuchar3,541	41.8%Kurt Bills2,753	6,585
2008Class II	R	32.1%Al Franken2,294	51.5%Norm Coleman3,683	7,152
2006Class I	R	46.9%Amy Klobuchar2,746	49.4%Mark Kennedy2,890	5,856
2002Class II	R	40.5%Walter Mondale2,462	55.6%Norm Coleman3,377	6,077
2000Class I	R	40.9%Mark Dayton2,599	53.3%Rod Grams3,388	6,361
1996Class II	R	40.2%Paul Wellstone2,416	52.1%Rudy Boschwitz3,132	6,013
1994Class I	R	33.5%Ann Wynia1,735	62.0%Rod Grams3,209	5,175
1990Class II	R	41.4%Paul Wellstone2,455	56.3%Rudy Boschwitz3,336	5,925
1988Class I	R	36.2%Hubert Humphrey III2,284	62.5%Dave Durenberger3,945	6,313
1984Class II	R	32.0%Joan A. Growe2,172	67.6%Rudy Boschwitz4,589	6,784
1982Class I	R	39.2%Mark Dayton2,456	60.8%Dave Durenberger3,803	6,259
1978Class II	R	33.9%Wendell Anderson1,948	61.9%Rudy Boschwitz3,553	5,743
1976Class I	D	64.9%Hubert Humphrey3,751	35.1%Gerald W. Brekke2,028	5,779
1972Class II	D	53.2%Walter Mondale3,203	46.5%Phil Hansen2,804	6,026
1970Class I	D	51.1%Hubert Humphrey2,632	48.3%Clark MacGregor2,485	5,147
1966Class II	R	46.8%Walter Mondale2,162	52.6%Robert A. Forsythe2,429	4,618
1964Class I	D	50.9%Eugene McCarthy2,755	48.7%Wheelock Whitney2,636	5,409
1960Class II	R	45.7%Hubert Humphrey2,475	54.0%P. Kenneth Peterson2,922	5,413
1958Class I	R	42.5%Eugene McCarthy1,860	57.1%Edward J. Thye2,500	4,375
1954Class II	R	46.0%Hubert Humphrey1,982	52.5%Val Bjornson2,259	4,306
1952Class I	R	30.8%Bill Carlson1,677	68.6%Edward J. Thye3,731	5,442
1948Class II	D	52.1%Hubert Humphrey2,588	47.5%Joseph H. Ball2,356	4,963
1946Class I	R	29.7%Theodore Jorgenson1,163	69.0%Edward J. Thye2,701	3,916
1942Class II	R	8.9%Ed Murphy283	51.5%Joseph H. Ball1,635	3,175
1940Class I	R	19.5%John E. Regan1,007	59.9%Henrik Shipstead3,087	5,156
1936Class II	R	0.0%None0	47.2%Theodore Chistianson2,082	4,414
1934Class I	R	23.6%Einar Hoidale1,093	26.7%N.J. Holmberg1,234	4,625
1930Class II	R	21.7%Einar Hoidale816	54.0%Thomas D. Schall2,025	3,752
1928Class I	R	0.0%None0	42.9%Arthur E. Nelson1,821	4,246
1924Class II	R	5.3%John J. Farrell187	50.4%Thomas D. Schall1,789	3,549
1922Class I	R	18.0%Anna D. Olesan604	41.5%Frank Kellogg1,389	3,351
1918Class II	R	0.0%None0	59.9%Knute Nelson941	1,572
1916Class I	R	24.3%Daniel W. Lawler408	58.4%Frank Kellogg980	1,678
1912Class II	R	32.7%Daniel W. Lawler336	67.3%Knute Nelson693	1,029

U.S. Senate special elections

Each row shows U.S. Senate special votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.

Source · Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC0 1.0.
Year	Vote lead	Democratic	Republican	Total
2018Special · Class II	R	30.5%Tina Smith1,693	65.8%Karin Housley3,645	5,543
1978Special · Class I	R	38.9%Bob Short2,225	54.4%Dave Durenberger3,110	5,719

Governor

Each row shows Governor votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.

Sources · MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL); Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC BY 4.0 / CC0 1.0.
Year	Vote lead	Democratic	Republican	Total
2022	R	25.3%Tim Walz1,511	71.2%Scott Jensen4,260	5,983
2018	R	31.2%Tim Walz And Peggy Flanagan1,731	66.2%Jeff Johnson And Donna Bergstrom3,667	5,542
2014	R	36.8%Mark Dayton1,877	57.5%Jeff Johnson2,932	5,099
2010	R	35.5%Mark Dayton1,922	53.7%Tom Emmer2,906	5,414
2006	R	40.5%Mike Hatch2,378	53.3%Tim Pawlenty3,130	5,873
2002	R	32.9%Roger Moe1,979	53.4%Tim Pawlenty3,213	6,015
1998	—	0.0%Skip Humphrey0	43.1%Norm Coleman2,563	5,945
1994	R	35.4%John Marty1,822	58.9%Arne Carlson3,028	5,145
1990	R	43.9%Rudy Perpich2,528	51.1%Arne Carlson2,945	5,763
1986	R	43.8%Rudy Perpich2,414	55.5%Cal Ludeman3,059	5,509
1982	D	55.4%Rudy Perpich3,441	43.6%Wheelock Whitney, Jr.2,706	6,208
1978	R	39.5%Rudy Perpich2,263	56.5%Al Quie3,240	5,731

voter registration

Registered voters

Total registered voters, over time

Registered voters

Voter registration in Wadena County, MN
Year	Total registered
2016	8,086
2018	7,951
2020	8,829
2022	8,564
2024	9,469

domestic migration

Who moves in and out

Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote

+86 net domestic migration · 2025

20112025

Net +405 over 2011–2025 · gain loss

Arrivals reported $48,223 in average income, against $63,464 for residents who stayed — 24% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)

The places arrivals came from lean R+40.2 on average — 11 points more Democratic-leaning than Wadena County, MN itself (R+51.3).

Where arrivals came from lean of each source

Todd County, MN65R+53.4
Otter Tail County, MN64R+34.1
Hubbard County, MN35R+31.4
Becker County, MN22R+33.1

Where departures went households, 2022–23

Otter Tail County, MN89
Todd County, MN55
Hubbard County, MN35
Crow Wing County, MN31
Becker County, MN28
Cass County, ND20

Migration is one input to a place’s political change, not its cause — a shift can also come from residents changing their minds, generational turnover, or turnout. These figures describe the places people moved between; they do not measure how any mover voted.

Domestic migration in Wadena County, MN in Wadena County, MN: net domestic migration by year
Year	Net domestic migration
2011	−152
2012	−46
2013	+70
2014	−44
2015	+85
2016	−76
2017	+105
2018	+110
2019	−49
2021	+40
2022	+110
2023	+10
2024	+156
2025	+86

Wadena County, a sparsely populated stretch of north-central Minnesota lakes and timber land, delivered a 51-point Republican margin in 2024—among the widest gaps in a state that has historically resisted landslide outcomes.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 17.7 points in 1932 and a Republican high of 69.0 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 5.8 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 51.3 points.

A population of 14,256, a 86% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $61,467 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Clark County and Clearwater County.

Political twins — counties

The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Clark County

South Dakota

90.2twin score

12-yr trendSwedish ancestry2024 margin≠ Norwegian ancestry

Clearwater County

Minnesota

88.1twin score

Swedish ancestry12-yr trend2020–2024 trajectory≠ Norwegian ancestry

Mille Lacs County

Minnesota

85.8twin score

12-yr trendNorwegian ancestry% White≠ Swedish ancestry

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.

Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →

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.

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Cities & towns in Wadena County

Wadena

R+38

4.4K residents

Minnesota at the ballot boxAll elections →

Presidentcounty detail2024 US Senatestatewide2024 Governorstate + county2022 US Houseall districts2024

Frequently asked questions

How did Wadena County, Minnesota vote in 2024?

In 2024, Wadena County, Minnesota voted Republican by 51.3 points (R+51.3), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 8,047 votes cast, 1,898 went Democratic and 6,028 went Republican.

When did Wadena County, Minnesota last vote Democratic?

The most recent presidential election in which Wadena County, Minnesota voted Democratic was 1976.

How many people live in Wadena County, Minnesota?

Wadena County, Minnesota has a population of 14,256 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in Wadena County, Minnesota?

Median household income in Wadena County, Minnesota is $61,467 — below the national median of $80,734. The Minnesota state median is $89,062.

What is the political history of Wadena County, Minnesota?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Wadena County, Minnesota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 28 went Republican.

Measure

Wadena County

Minnesota

United States

Median age

39.1

Age 18–24

7.1%

8.8%

9.2%

Age 65 and older

20.2%

17.2%

Measure

Wadena County

Minnesota

United States

Median household income

$61,467

$89,062

$84,427

Poverty rate

12.5%

9.3%

12.5%

Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)

19.8%

39.4%

35.6%

Measure

Wadena County

Minnesota

United States

Speaks a non-English language at home

2.6%

12.5%

22.3%

Measure

Wadena County

Minnesota

United States

Catholic

12.2%

19.5%

18.6%

Evangelical Protestant

26.9%

11.8%

16.5%

Unclaimed / not counted

44.8%

50.6%

51.5%

Mainline Protestant

13.9%

13.5%

5.2%

Key facts

2024 presidential margin

R+51.3MIT Election Lab

Population

14,2562024 5-year

Median household income

$61,4672024 5-year

White (non-Hispanic)

86.1%2024 5-year

Black

1.7%2024 5-year

Hispanic / Latino

2.4%2024 5-year

Peak Democratic margin

D+17.7 in 1932MIT Election Lab

Peak Republican margin

R+69.0 in 1904MIT Election Lab

Most similar

Clark County, SD · twin score 90.2

Election

Participants

CVAP

Turnout

Quality

2016 · Presidential

7,023

10,367

67.7%

A/A

2018 · Midterm

5,595

10,214

54.8%

A/A

2020 · Presidential

7,715

10,005

77.1%

A/A

2022 · Midterm

6,019

10,244

58.8%

A/A

2024 · Presidential

8,094

10,482

77.2%

A/A

Wadena County precinct-level presidential election results for 2024

Precinct -WADENA P-3WADENA P-3

268

536

815

32.9%

65.8%

R+32.9

Precinct -MENAHGAMENAHGA

202

577

791

25.5%

72.9%

R+47.4

Precinct -WADENA P-1WADENA P-1

177

447

633

28.0%

70.6%

R+42.7

Precinct -WADENA P-2WADENA P-2

164

405

573

28.6%

70.7%

R+42.1

Precinct -BLUEBERRY TWPBLUEBERRY TWP

124

433

565

21.9%

76.6%

R+54.7

Precinct -WADENA TWPWADENA TWP

104

446

555

18.7%

80.4%

R+61.6

Precinct -THOMASTOWN TWPTHOMASTOWN TWP

147

400

552

26.6%

72.5%

R+45.8

Precinct -STAPLESSTAPLES

136

272

422

32.2%

64.5%

R+32.2

Precinct -SEBEKASEBEKA

281

385

25.2%

73.0%

R+47.8

Precinct -ALDRICH TWPALDRICH TWP

253

299

14.4%

84.6%

R+70.2

Precinct -VERNDALEVERNDALE

234

292

19.2%

80.1%

R+61.0

Precinct -LEAF RIVER TWPLEAF RIVER TWP

233

286

16.4%

81.5%

R+65.0

Precinct -WING RIVER TWPWING RIVER TWP

250

286

12.6%

87.4%

R+74.8

Precinct -RED EYE TWPRED EYE TWP

221

280

18.9%

78.9%

R+60.0

Precinct -ROCKWOOD TWPROCKWOOD TWP

194

250

21.2%

77.6%

R+56.4

Precinct -NORTH GERMANY TWPNORTH GERMANY TWP

166

191

11.0%

86.9%

R+75.9

Precinct -SHELL RIVER TWPSHELL RIVER TWP

129

176

24.4%

73.3%

R+48.9

Precinct -BULLARD TWPBULLARD TWP

120

151

14.6%

79.5%

R+64.9

Precinct -MEADOW TWPMEADOW TWP

125

151

15.2%

82.8%

R+67.5

Precinct -ORTON TWPORTON TWP

132

22.7%

75.0%

R+52.3

Precinct -LYONS TWPLYONS TWP

103

116

11.2%

88.8%

R+77.6

Precinct -HUNTERSVILLE TWPHUNTERSVILLE TWP

28.0%

68.0%

R+40.0

Precinct -NIMRODNIMROD

25.5%

74.5%

R+48.9

Precinct -ALDRICH CITYALDRICH CITY

25.0%

75.0%

R+50.0

Aldrich Twp. Voting District27_271590010

—

No votes

Aldrich Voting District27_271590005

—

No votes

Blueberry Twp. Voting District27_271590015

—

No votes

Bullard Twp. Voting District27_271590020

—

No votes

Huntersville Twp. Voting District27_271590025

—

No votes

Leaf River Twp. Voting District27_271590030

—

No votes

Lyons Twp. Voting District27_271590035

—

No votes

Meadow Twp. Voting District27_271590040

—

No votes

Menahga Voting District27_271590045

—

No votes

Nimrod Voting District27_271590050

—

No votes

North Germany Twp. Voting District27_271590055

—

No votes

Orton Twp. Voting District27_271590060

—

No votes

Red Eye Twp. Voting District27_271590065

—

No votes

Rockwood Twp. Voting District27_271590070

—

No votes

Sebeka Voting District27_271590075

—

No votes

Shell River Twp. Voting District27_271590080

—

No votes

Staples Voting District27_271590085

—

No votes

Thomastown Twp. Voting District27_271590090

—

No votes

Verndale Voting District27_271590095

—

No votes

Wadena P-127_271590100

—

No votes

Wadena P-227_271590105

—

No votes

Wadena P-327_271590110

—

No votes

Wadena Twp. Voting District27_271590120

—

No votes

Wing River Twp. Voting District27_271590125

—

No votes

Presidential margin, 1892–2024

Democratic minus Republican, by election

Presidential margin over time
Year	Margin (D minus R)
1892	−12.2%
1896	−23.6%
1900	−34.7%
1904	−69.0%
1908	−33.6%
1912	+4.4%
1916	−16.6%
1920	−61.1%
1924	−49.6%
1928	−30.9%
1932	+17.7%
1936	+15.2%
1940	−9.2%
1944	−17.3%
1948	+5.8%
1952	−37.4%
1956	−27.2%
1960	−15.8%
1964	+9.2%
1968	−13.3%
1972	−16.4%
1976	+1.8%
1980	−20.5%
1984	−27.3%
1988	−19.8%
1992	−2.4%
1996	−3.6%
2000	−23.2%
2004	−20.1%
2008	−17.4%
2012	−24.3%
2016	−45.5%
2020	−45.6%
2024	−51.3%

DemocraticRepublican

Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle; not shown when either cycle is estimated or under source review. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year.

Year

Won

Democratic

Republican

Other

Margin

Swing

vs U.S.

Total

2024

23.6%Harris1,898

74.9%Trump6,028

0.8%Kennedy65 +7

R+51.3

R+5.8

R+49.9

8,047

All 10 candidates in 2024 · 8 minor / independent

Donald J TrumpRepublican74.9%6,028
Kamala D HarrisDemocratic23.6%1,898
Robert F KennedyIndependent0.8%65
OtherAll other candidates0.3%23
Chase OliverLibertarian0.1%11
Jill SteinIndependent0.1%8
Shiva AyyaduraiIndependent0.1%8
Cornel WestIndependent0.0%4
Claudia De La CruzIndependent0.0%1
Rachele FruitIndependent0.0%1

2020

26.4%Biden2,023

71.9%Trump5,520

0.7%Jorgensen54

R+45.6

R+0.1

R+50.0

7,677

2016

24.3%Clinton1,684

69.8%Trump4,837

2.4%Johnson164

R+45.5

R+21.2

R+47.6

6,934

2012

36.7%Obama2,492

61.0%Romney4,143

1.0%GRAY65

R+24.3

R+6.9

R+28.2

6,791

2008

40.2%Obama2,882

57.6%McCain4,128

2.2%

R+17.4

D+2.7

R+24.7

7,169

2004

39.3%Kerry2,791

59.4%Bush4,214

1.2%

R+20.1

D+3.2

R+17.6

7,093

2000

35.3%Gore2,251

58.5%Bush3,733

4.0%Nader253

R+23.2

R+19.6

R+23.7

6,382

1996

41.1%Clinton2,480

44.6%Dole2,696

13.3%Perot801

R+3.6

R+1.2

R+12.1

6,040

1992

36.6%Clinton2,340

38.9%Bush2,492

24.0%Perot1,535

R+2.4

D+17.5

R+7.9

6,398

1988

39.4%Dukakis2,484

59.3%Bush3,733

1.3%

R+19.8

D+7.4

R+12.1

6,299

1984

36.1%Mondale2,454

63.4%Reagan4,306

0.5%

R+27.3

R+6.8

R+9.0

6,792

1980

37.1%Carter2,635

57.6%Reagan4,089

5.3%

R+20.5

R+22.3

R+10.7

7,103

1976

49.3%Carter3,164

47.4%Ford3,048

3.3%

D+1.8

D+18.2

R+0.3

6,424

1972

40.7%McGovern2,430

57.0%Nixon3,408

2.3%

R+16.4

R+3.1

D+6.8

5,974

1968

40.8%Humphrey2,198

54.1%Nixon2,912

5.1%

R+13.3

R+22.4

R+12.6

5,386

1964

54.5%Johnson2,908

45.3%Goldwater2,418

0.1%

D+9.2

D+25.0

R+13.4

5,334

1960

42.0%Kennedy2,240

57.8%Nixon3,082

0.1%

R+15.8

D+11.4

R+16.0

5,329

1956

36.4%Stevenson1,733

63.5%Eisenhower3,028

0.1%

R+27.2

D+10.2

R+11.8

4,767

1952

31.2%Stevenson1,665

68.5%Eisenhower3,662

0.3%

R+37.4

R+43.2

R+26.6

5,343

1948

52.0%Truman2,556

46.2%Dewey2,272

1.8%

D+5.8

D+23.1

D+1.3

4,917

1944

41.2%Roosevelt1,868

58.5%Dewey2,653

0.4%

R+17.3

R+8.1

R+24.8

4,537

1940

45.0%Roosevelt2,405

54.3%Willkie2,898

0.7%

R+9.2

R+24.4

R+19.2

5,340

1936

56.0%Roosevelt2,605

40.8%Landon1,898

3.1%

D+15.2

R+2.5

R+9.1

4,649

1932

57.1%Roosevelt2,300

39.3%Hoover1,585

3.6%

D+17.7

D+48.6

±0.0

4,030

1928

33.2%Smith1,343

64.1%Hoover2,592

2.7%

R+30.9

D+18.7

R+13.4

4,044

1924

5.3%Davis182

54.8%Coolidge1,900

36.5%La Follette1,265

R+49.6

D+11.6

R+24.4

3,465

1920

14.4%Cox503

75.6%Harding2,635

10.0%

R+61.1

R+44.5

R+35.0

3,487

1916

37.7%Wilson651

54.3%Hughes938

8.0%

R+16.6

R+21.0

R+19.8

1,727

1912

25.3%Wilson336

20.9%Taft278

53.8%

Roosevelt +28.6

D+38.0

R+15.2

1,330

1908

30.0%Bryan467

63.6%Taft991

6.5%

R+33.6

D+35.4

R+24.1

1,559

1904

13.5%Parker190

82.5%Roosevelt1,159

3.9%

R+69.0

R+34.3

R+49.4

1,404

1900

31.0%Bryan448

65.7%McKinley949

3.3%

R+34.7

R+11.1

R+27.1

1,445

1896

37.1%Bryan534

60.7%McKinley874

2.3%

R+23.6

R+11.4

R+17.5

1,441

1892

33.2%Cleveland332

45.4%Harrison454

21.5%

R+12.2

—

R+13.8

1,001

1888

—

No data

—

1884

—

No data

—

1880

—

No data

—

1876

—

No data

—

Source · Akashic actual-race rollup from certified returns, House; geographic aggregation.

Year

Vote lead

Democratic

Republican

Total

2024

23.1%1,802

76.9%5,989

7,791

2020

26.6%1,887

73.4%5,213

7,100

2018

24.7%20

75.3%61

Sources · MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL); Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC BY 4.0 / CC0 1.0.

Year

Vote lead

Democratic

Republican

Total

2024

30.4%2,398

67.1%5,295

7,892

2020Class II

26.1%Tina Smith1,977

66.5%Jason Lewis5,041

7,578

2018Class I

36.8%Amy Klobuchar2,044

60.9%Jim Newberger3,379

5,550

2014Class II

39.8%Al Franken2,041

55.4%Mike McFadden2,841

5,124

2012Class I

53.8%Amy Klobuchar3,541

41.8%Kurt Bills2,753

6,585

2008Class II

32.1%Al Franken2,294

51.5%Norm Coleman3,683

7,152

2006Class I

46.9%Amy Klobuchar2,746

49.4%Mark Kennedy2,890

5,856

2002Class II

40.5%Walter Mondale2,462

55.6%Norm Coleman3,377

6,077

2000Class I

40.9%Mark Dayton2,599

53.3%Rod Grams3,388

6,361

1996Class II

40.2%Paul Wellstone2,416

52.1%Rudy Boschwitz3,132

6,013

1994Class I

33.5%Ann Wynia1,735

62.0%Rod Grams3,209

5,175

1990Class II

41.4%Paul Wellstone2,455

56.3%Rudy Boschwitz3,336

5,925

1988Class I

36.2%Hubert Humphrey III2,284

62.5%Dave Durenberger3,945

6,313

1984Class II

32.0%Joan A. Growe2,172

67.6%Rudy Boschwitz4,589

6,784

1982Class I

39.2%Mark Dayton2,456

60.8%Dave Durenberger3,803

6,259

1978Class II

33.9%Wendell Anderson1,948

61.9%Rudy Boschwitz3,553

5,743

1976Class I

64.9%Hubert Humphrey3,751

35.1%Gerald W. Brekke2,028

5,779

1972Class II

53.2%Walter Mondale3,203

46.5%Phil Hansen2,804

6,026

1970Class I

51.1%Hubert Humphrey2,632

48.3%Clark MacGregor2,485

5,147

1966Class II

46.8%Walter Mondale2,162

52.6%Robert A. Forsythe2,429

4,618

1964Class I

50.9%Eugene McCarthy2,755

48.7%Wheelock Whitney2,636

5,409

1960Class II

45.7%Hubert Humphrey2,475

54.0%P. Kenneth Peterson2,922

5,413

1958Class I

42.5%Eugene McCarthy1,860

57.1%Edward J. Thye2,500

4,375

1954Class II

46.0%Hubert Humphrey1,982

52.5%Val Bjornson2,259

4,306

1952Class I

30.8%Bill Carlson1,677

68.6%Edward J. Thye3,731

5,442

1948Class II

52.1%Hubert Humphrey2,588

47.5%Joseph H. Ball2,356

4,963

1946Class I

29.7%Theodore Jorgenson1,163

69.0%Edward J. Thye2,701

3,916

1942Class II

8.9%Ed Murphy283

51.5%Joseph H. Ball1,635

3,175

1940Class I

19.5%John E. Regan1,007

59.9%Henrik Shipstead3,087

5,156

1936Class II

0.0%None0

47.2%Theodore Chistianson2,082

4,414

1934Class I

23.6%Einar Hoidale1,093

26.7%N.J. Holmberg1,234

4,625

1930Class II

21.7%Einar Hoidale816

54.0%Thomas D. Schall2,025

3,752

1928Class I

0.0%None0

42.9%Arthur E. Nelson1,821

4,246

1924Class II

5.3%John J. Farrell187

50.4%Thomas D. Schall1,789

3,549

1922Class I

18.0%Anna D. Olesan604

41.5%Frank Kellogg1,389

3,351

1918Class II

0.0%None0

59.9%Knute Nelson941

1,572

1916Class I

24.3%Daniel W. Lawler408

58.4%Frank Kellogg980

1,678

1912Class II

32.7%Daniel W. Lawler336

67.3%Knute Nelson693

1,029

Source · Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC0 1.0.

Year

Vote lead

Democratic

Republican

Total

2018Special · Class II

30.5%Tina Smith1,693

65.8%Karin Housley3,645

5,543

1978Special · Class I

38.9%Bob Short2,225

54.4%Dave Durenberger3,110

5,719

Sources · MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL); Amlani & Algara 2021 (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/DGUMFI); upstream CQ Press + ICPSR · CC BY 4.0 / CC0 1.0.

Year

Vote lead

Democratic

Republican

Total

2022

25.3%Tim Walz1,511

71.2%Scott Jensen4,260

5,983

2018

31.2%Tim Walz And Peggy Flanagan1,731

66.2%Jeff Johnson And Donna Bergstrom3,667

5,542

2014

36.8%Mark Dayton1,877

57.5%Jeff Johnson2,932

5,099

2010

35.5%Mark Dayton1,922

53.7%Tom Emmer2,906

5,414

2006

40.5%Mike Hatch2,378

53.3%Tim Pawlenty3,130

5,873

2002

32.9%Roger Moe1,979

53.4%Tim Pawlenty3,213

6,015

1998

—

0.0%Skip Humphrey0

43.1%Norm Coleman2,563

5,945

1994

35.4%John Marty1,822

58.9%Arne Carlson3,028

5,145

1990

43.9%Rudy Perpich2,528

51.1%Arne Carlson2,945

5,763

1986

43.8%Rudy Perpich2,414

55.5%Cal Ludeman3,059

5,509

1982

55.4%Rudy Perpich3,441

43.6%Wheelock Whitney, Jr.2,706

6,208

1978

39.5%Rudy Perpich2,263

56.5%Al Quie3,240

5,731

Frequently asked questions

Voter registration in Wadena County, MN
Year	Total registered
2016	8,086
2018	7,951
2020	8,829
2022	8,564
2024	9,469

How did Wadena County, Minnesota vote in 2024?

In 2024, Wadena County, Minnesota voted Republican by 51.3 points (R+51.3), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 8,047 votes cast, 1,898 went Democratic and 6,028 went Republican.

When did Wadena County, Minnesota last vote Democratic?

The most recent presidential election in which Wadena County, Minnesota voted Democratic was 1976.

How many people live in Wadena County, Minnesota?

Wadena County, Minnesota has a population of 14,256 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in Wadena County, Minnesota?

Median household income in Wadena County, Minnesota is $61,467 — below the national median of $80,734. The Minnesota state median is $89,062.

What is the political history of Wadena County, Minnesota?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Wadena County, Minnesota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 28 went Republican.