HarrisDemocratic34.9%1,723TrumpRepublican62.6%3,087KennedyIndependent1.2%57
R+27.7- Lead
- 1,364
- Total
- 4,933
- vs nation
- R+26.2
- Turnout
- 67.0%
Akashiccounty
Watonwan County, MN
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the county’s overall result across 1892–2024.
President results by year
2024 turnout 67.0% of 7,421 citizens 18+
BidenDemocratic38.2%1,987TrumpRepublican59.7%3,103JorgensenLibertarian0.5%28
R+21.5- Lead
- 1,116
- Total
- 5,201
- vs nation
- R+25.9
- Turnout
- 70.9%
ClintonDemocratic36.3%1,814TrumpRepublican55.4%2,768JohnsonLibertarian3.1%156
R+19.1- Lead
- 954
- Total
- 4,998
- vs nation
- R+21.2
- Turnout
- 68.2%
ObamaDemocratic48.5%2,494RomneyRepublican48.9%2,517GRAYLibertarian1.0%50
R+0.4- Lead
- 23
- Total
- 5,144
- vs nation
- R+4.3
- Turnout
- —
ObamaDemocratic48.7%2,562McCainRepublican48.0%2,526OtherAll other candidates3.2%170
D+0.7- Lead
- 36
- Total
- 5,258
- vs nation
- R+6.6
- Turnout
- —
KerryDemocratic45.0%2,514BushRepublican53.2%2,970OtherAll other candidates1.8%99
R+8.2- Lead
- 456
- Total
- 5,583
- vs nation
- R+5.7
- Turnout
- —
GoreDemocratic44.0%2,258BushRepublican49.9%2,562NaderGreen4.1%212
R+5.9- Lead
- 304
- Total
- 5,134
- vs nation
- R+6.4
- Turnout
- —
ClintonDemocratic47.9%2,534DoleRepublican37.7%1,997PerotReform13.4%711
D+10.1- Lead
- 537
- Total
- 5,291
- vs nation
- D+1.6
- Turnout
- —
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+27.7MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 11,2052024 5-year
- Population density
- 26 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 435 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $71,6992024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 67.7%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.0%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 30.4%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+30.1 in 1936MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+66.4 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Renville County, MN · twin score 86.0
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
- 67.0%4,969 participants ÷ 7,421 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +20.1 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off versus state
- +0.1 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 46.9%–51.0%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 5,077 | 7,448 | 68.2% | A/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 4,177 | 7,417 | 56.3% | A/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 5,233 | 7,377 | 70.9% | A/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 3,902 | 7,669 | 50.9% | A/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 4,969 | 7,421 | 67.0% | 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.
presidential history
Party record book
Watonwan County, 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
Franklin D. Roosevelt1936
63.5%
3,668 votes · D+30.1
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 · 57.7%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
81.4%
3,510 votes · R+66.4
Runner-up · Theodore Roosevelt, 1904 · 79.9%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1936
3,668votes
63.5% of the vote · D+30.1
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 3,615 votes
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower1952
4,549votes
72.0% of the vote · R+44.3
Runner-up · Richard Nixon, 1960 · 4,173 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
Franklin D. Roosevelt1936
+5.8pts D vs U.S.
Place D+30.1 · U.S. D+24.3
Runner-up · Harry S. Truman, 1948 · +3.6 pts
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
+43.4pts R vs U.S.
Place R+63.1 · U.S. R+19.7
Runner-up · Warren G. Harding, 1920 · +40.2 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 | 31.6%1,530 | 68.4%3,305 | 4,835 |
| 2020 | R | 43.9%2,113 | 56.1%2,699 | 4,812 |
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6,055 |
| 2018 | 5,786 |
| 2020 | 5,950 |
| 2022 | 5,659 |
| 2024 | 5,959 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net migration over time, and who arrivals are — where they came from and what those places vote
−32 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −1,571 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
Arrivals reported $44,153 in average income, against $71,693 for residents who stayed — 38% lower. (IRS SOI, 2022–23)
The places arrivals came from lean R+1.2 on average — 26 points more Democratic-leaning than Watonwan County, MN itself (R+27.7).
Where arrivals came from lean of each source
- Blue Earth County, MN39R+1.2
Where departures went households, 2022–23
- Blue Earth County, MN53
- Martin County, MN26
- Cottonwood County, MN24
- Brown County, MN23
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.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −88 |
| 2012 | −102 |
| 2013 | −96 |
| 2014 | −131 |
| 2015 | −91 |
| 2016 | −110 |
| 2017 | −151 |
| 2018 | −17 |
| 2019 | −203 |
| 2021 | −102 |
| 2022 | −138 |
| 2023 | −191 |
| 2024 | −119 |
| 2025 | −32 |
Watonwan's economy centers on hog and corn production, and its population of roughly 12,000 has trended sharply toward Republican presidential candidates since 2012, reaching a 27-point margin in 2024.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 30.1 points in 1936 and a Republican high of 66.4 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the county moved 6.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 27.7 points.
A population of 11,205, a 68% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $71,699 describe the county. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Renville County and Kandiyohi County.
Political twins — counties
The counties whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Renville County
Minnesota
86.0twin score
% unaffiliated12-yr trendNorwegian ancestry≠ % Latino
Kandiyohi County
Minnesota
84.9twin score
Swedish ancestry12-yr trendNorwegian ancestry≠ % Latino
Traverse County
Minnesota
81.9twin score
Swedish ancestry12-yr trend2008–2012 trajectory≠ % Latino
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.
Watonwan County, Minnesota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/county/27165/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Cities & towns in Watonwan County
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Frequently asked questions
How did Watonwan County, Minnesota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Watonwan County, Minnesota voted Republican by 27.7 points (R+27.7), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 4,933 votes cast, 1,723 went Democratic and 3,087 went Republican.
When did Watonwan County, Minnesota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Watonwan County, Minnesota voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
Watonwan County, Minnesota has a population of 11,205 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
Median household income in Watonwan County, Minnesota is $71,699 — below the national median of $80,734. The Minnesota state median is $89,062.
What is the political history of Watonwan County, Minnesota?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Watonwan County, Minnesota from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 7 went Democratic and 26 went Republican.