A Demographic Divide in the House
House districts represented by Republicans tend to be less diverse and much more sparsely populated than those held by Democrats. The 81 districts won overwhelmingly by Democrats are significantly poorer and have higher rates of unemployment than either Republican-held or more moderately Democratic districts. Roughly two-thirds of all Congressional elections in 2012 were won by 20 percentage points or more, and more than a quarter saw margins over 40 points. Demographic figures in the table below are median values. See more interactive graphics at the Data Mine blog.
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| Democrats | Republicans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Democratic districts |
Member won by 20+ points |
Member won by 40+ points |
All Republican districts |
Member won by 20+ points |
Member won by 40+ points |
|
| Number of districts | 201 | 143 | 81 | 234 | 141 | 46 |
| White population | 50.7% | 41.4% | 33.7% | 75.8% | 74.7% | 72.4% |
| Black population | 8.9% | 11.1% | 20.5% | 5.9% | 6.2% | 8.3% |
| Asian population | 4.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic population | 15.3% | 14.9% | 15.7% | 6.9% | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| Population density | 1,513 people / sq mi | 2,340 people / sq mi | 3,240 people / sq mi | 165 people / sq mi | 124 people / sq mi | 100 people / sq mi |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 10.5% | 11.6% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 8.9% |
| Median household income | $50,927 | $49,723 | $46,166 | $49,597 | $48,539 | $48,515 |
| Households earning < $25,000 | 24.3% | 25.5% | 29.2% | 24.4% | 24.7% | 24.9% |
| Households earning > $200,000 | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| Presidential election margin | Obama +28 points | Obama +37 points | Obama +50 points | Romney +17 points | Romney +25 points | Romney +35 points |