I’ve been looking at how education and voting patterns line up across US counties. I collected data on the 2024 presidential election results and education levels, then charted the findings to see if any relationship exists.
To determine political leaning, I subtracted Trump’s vote percentage from Harris’s. A larger positive result means a stronger win for Harris, while a larger negative value indicates a more decisive win for Trump. For education, I measured the percentage of county residents with at least a bachelor’s degree.
Some points I found interesting:
- Only 10% of Harris-leaning counties had a vote gap over 50%.
- In contrast, 71% of Trump-leaning counties showed such large margins.
- Washington DC led among blue counties with an 86% gap, while 13 red counties exceeded that.
- The overall ratio of red to blue counties is 85:15, despite a close national vote.
My takeaway: In conservative areas, lower education levels seem linked to increased political polarization, whereas in liberal counties, higher education appears to moderate extreme views.
P.S. There’s one small Texas county with no four-year degree holders at all.
Your analysis provides an intriguing perspective on the relationship between education and voting patterns. The stark contrast in polarization between Harris-leaning and Trump-leaning counties is particularly noteworthy. Have you considered examining the role of media consumption in these areas? It might offer additional insights into why certain counties exhibit more extreme political leanings. Additionally, investigating the economic factors, such as industry types prevalent in these counties, could shed light on potential underlying influences. As for that Texas county with no four-year degree holders, it would be interesting to explore its unique circumstances and how it compares economically to similar rural counties.
wow thats rly fascinating data! i wonder if theres other factors at play too, like income levels or urban vs rural. did u look at those? also curious bout that texas county w/ no degrees lol. id be interested to see how this compares to past elections too. nice work on the research!
Great analysis! I’ve done similar research and found some additional nuances. One thing to consider is the impact of brain drain in rural areas. Many college-educated individuals from conservative counties move to urban areas for job opportunities, potentially skewing the data.
Another factor is the prevalence of trade schools and associate degrees in some regions, which your data doesn’t capture. I’ve seen cases where counties with lower bachelor’s degree rates still have a highly skilled workforce.
Have you looked at how age demographics correlate with education and voting patterns? In my experience, that can reveal some surprising trends, especially in counties with large retiree populations or university towns.
Lastly, I’m curious about outliers like that Texas county. Sometimes these extreme cases highlight unique local economic or cultural factors that don’t fit the broader narrative.