The most Democratic counties in each state
The largely unexpected rise in support for Republican and Democratic presidential candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders — who represent two vastly different viewpoints — reflects how polarized Americans are on the political spectrum. The differences can be seen even within states, where the political leanings of residents in one county can differ substantially from that of another.
Based on voting data compiled by political news organization Politico and a review of current and historical representation in the U.S. Congress, 24/7 Wall St. created an index to measure the political leanings of county residents nationwide. Prince George’s County is not just the bluest county in Maryland, but also the most Democratic-leaning county in the nation. King County, Texas, on the other hand, is the reddest county — the most Republican — in the country.
Here are the most Democratic counties of the largest states in the country:
CALIFORNIA
Bluest county: San Francisco County
A majority of California’s representatives in the U.S. Congress are Democrats. Residents of San Francisco County are perhaps the most likely to support the party. Obama won 83.4% of the votes in the area, the highest share of any county in California. In addition to sending a Democrat to the White House, county voters helped send a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections.
TEXAS
Bluest county: Starr County
Texas is a relatively conservative state and is home to former President George W. Bush. Of the state’s 36 districts, 25 are held by Republicans. Starr County, however, located on the Mexican border not far from McAllen, sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. While Romney earned 56% of the Texas votes in 2012, Obama won 86.4% of the votes in Starr County, the highest share of any county in Texas.
FLORIDA
Bluest county: Gadsden County
Gadsden County is the bluest county in Florida. Of the county’s roughly 22,500 voters in November 2012, nearly 16,000 cast a ballot for Obama. While some of the bluest counties in each state consistently elect Democrats to Congress, other counties have voted on both sides of the party line. Gadsden County, for example, sent both Democrats and Republicans to the House over the last 10 years. Rep. Gwen Graham, a Democrat, now occupies the seat. Marco Rubio, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, represents the Sunshine State in the U.S. Senate.
NEW YORK
Bluest county: Bronx County
Obama won 91.2% of the votes in Bronx County, the highest share of any county in New York. In addition to supporting Obama’s bid for the White House, voters in the county sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. Financially insecure voters are far more likely to cast a Democratic ballot than a Republican one, and this seems to be especially the case in the Bronx. The county's median household income of $34,284 is lower than the national median of $52,482. Also, more than 30% of Bronx County residents live in poverty compared to 15.6% of Americans.
ILLINOIS
Bluest county: Cook County
Obama started his political career as a community organizer in Chicago, the seat of Cook County. He went on to be elected to the Illinois Senate by the largest margin in state’s history. In the 2012 election, Obama received nearly three-quarters of votes in Cook County, the bluest in Illinois. While Cook overwhelmingly favored a Democrat in the presidential election, in the past five years both Democrats and Republicans have won House seats in the county’s congressional districts.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bluest county: Philadelphia County
Obama won 85.2% of the votes in Philadelphia County, the largest share of any county in Pennsylvania. In addition to voting for a Democrat for president, all three congressional districts located in the county sent a Democrat to the House in each of the last five congressional elections. Like other predominantly Democratic areas, 36.2% of county residents identify as white, and median household income is $37,460. By comparison, the 62.8% of the U.S. population identifies as white and the national median household income is $52,046.
OHIO
Bluest county: Mahoning County
Mahoning County is represented in Congress by Republican Rep. Bill Johnson and Tim Ryan, who like most of the county’s representatives in the last five election cycles, is a Democrat. Obama won 63.2% of the votes in Mahoning County, one of the highest of any county in Ohio. As is generally the case in predominantly Democratic areas, Mahoning county's median household income of $41,350 is lower than the national median of $52,482.
GEORGIA
Bluest county: Clayton County
Though Romney won Georgia, the vast majority of voters in the Peach State’s bluest county cast their ballot for Obama in 2012. Nearly 85% of voters in Clayton County cast a ballot for Obama. In addition to sending a Democrat to the White House, the county sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections.
NORTH CAROLINA
Bluest county: Hertford County
Obama won 71.9% of the votes in Hertford County. Of North Carolina county residents, only those in Durham were more likely to vote for Obama. Unlike Durham, Hertford voters sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. The county's median household income of $32,201 is well below the national median income of $52,482. Additionally, more than 20.0% of Hertford County residents live in poverty compared to 15.6% of Americans. Broadly speaking, less financially secure Americans are far more likely to vote Democrat than financially well-off individuals, who tend to vote Republican.
MICHIGAN
Bluest county: Genesee County
Genesee County has sent a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in each of the last five congressional elections. Also, 63.6% of Genesee County voters chose Obama over Romney in 2012, one of the highest shares of any county in Michigan. Like many counties inclined to vote Democratic, Genesee County's median household income of $41,879 is substantially lower than the national median of $52,482. Additionally, 21.2% of Genesee County residents live in poverty compared to 15.6% of Americans.
See the most Democratic counties in all 50 states:
More about the most Democratic counties in each state
One key to the differences: economics. In a recent report from policy think tank Pew Research Center, researchers found that Republican politicians tend to find their support among financially well-off voters, while the least financially secure Americans are considerably more likely to support Democrats.
Political opinions and financial circumstances among Americans are far more nuanced than this, of course, But compared to the reddest county, the bluest counties in 32 states have a lower annual median household income.
While Democratic-leaning counties tend to have lower incomes, adults in these areas also tend to have higher educational attainment rates compared to the reddest counties. In 33 states, the percentage of adults who have attained at least a bachelor’s degree in the bluest county is higher than the comparable percentage in the reddest county of the state.
The racial composition of these areas also seems to be a factor. While 63% of Americans identify as white, a lower proportion of the population in 28 of the bluest counties identifies as white. On the other hand, the vast majority of residents in most of the reddest counties identify as white. The share of the white population in only three of the reddest counties is lower than it is nationwide.
While numerous measures contribute to a county’s political leaning, including congressional representation, the bluest counties almost always had the highest share of votes for President Barack Obama in 2012 compared with other counties in the state, and those shares were almost always a majority. However, in four of the bluest counties — Douglas, Nebraska; Cherokee, Oklahoma; Tooele, Utah; and Cabell, West Virginia — a majority of adults voted for Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Some of the bluest counties in several states are not as blue as those in other states. Teton County, Wyoming, for example, has sent a Republican to Congress in each election cycle since 1979, yet gave 54.7% of its vote to Obama in 2012. Similarly, Republican Peter Roskam has served as Representative of Cook County, Illinois, since 2007. Yet, nearly three-quarters of Cook area voters cast their ballots for Obama in 2012.
24/7 Wall St. is a Paste BN content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Paste BN.