akashic
1876–2024
Congressional District 52·California

California 52nd Congressional District moved 16 points toward the Republican candidate between 2020 and 2024.

One of San Diego's most Democratic-leaning seats, anchored by university corridors

2008 — 2024·5 elections
CA
LatestD+21in 2024
TypologyFlorida Surgecluster typology
Population110,5432024 ACS

California 52nd Congressional District: Florida Surge district. In 2024, voted D+21%. Democratic peak: D+47 in 2016.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin
D+21MIT Election Lab
Political typology
Florida SurgeAkashic typology
Population
110,5432024 5-year
Median household income
$106,2682024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic)
48.4%2024 5-year
Black
4.7%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino
34.6%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin
D+47 in 2016MIT Election Lab
DW-NOMINATE
Member ideology
D
VARGAS, JuanCongress 119 · Democratic
DW-NOMINATE first-dimension (economic) score-0.40 sits at approximately the 30th percentile.0-0.40−1 liberal+1 conservative
VARGAS scores -0.40 on the first NOMINATE dimension (−1 most liberal, +1 most conservative).

Predecessors: PETERS, Scott (2021–2023), PETERS, Scott (2019–2021), PETERS, Scott (2017–2019), PETERS, Scott (2015–2017)

Source · Voteview / Lewis, Poole, Rosenthal et al. (CC-BY).
2024 presidential election
Congressional District 52
HarrisD+21
—
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Kamala Harris ✓Democratic59.3%159,446
Donald TrumpRepublican38.1%102,427
OtherAll other candidates2.6%7,124
D+60
R+60
1 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin.
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2008–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 2008 to 2024. Most recent: +21.2% in 2024.+21.2%DR20082024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
2008+30.8%
2012+36.6%
2016+46.6%
2020+36.9%
2024+21.2%
DemocraticRepublican
5 presidential elections
Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonMarginDemocraticRepublicanTotal
D
+21.2%
159,446102,427268,997
D
+36.9%
205,39093,001304,687
D
+46.6%
170,59358,047241,343
D
+36.6%
135,35662,826198,182
D
+30.8%
129,79868,472198,851
Congressional elections · 17 Senate races

U.S. Senate

Source · MIT Election Lab (MEDSL), Senate. CC-BY 4.0.
YearWonD %R %Total
2024D58.9%41.1%15,348,846
2022D61.1%38.9%10,843,650
2018D100.0%0.0%11,113,364
2016D100.0%0.0%12,244,170
2012D62.5%37.5%12,578,511
2010D52.2%42.2%10,000,160
2006D59.4%35.0%8,541,476
2004D57.7%37.8%12,053,295
2000D55.8%36.6%10,623,608
1998D53.1%43.0%8,311,905
1994D46.7%44.8%8,514,089
1992D47.9%43.0%10,799,703
1988R44.0%52.8%9,743,598
1986D49.3%47.9%7,398,462
1982R44.8%51.5%7,805,450
1980D56.5%37.1%8,324,012
1976R46.9%50.2%7,470,586

Demographics

2024 ACS
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
German
9.1%
English
8.0%
Irish
7.8%
Italian
4.2%
American
2.5%
French
1.8%
Polish
1.6%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
2024 ACS
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 37.3 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
0.7%
85+
1.1%
2.0%
75–84
2.5%
4.3%
65–74
4.8%
5.8%
55–64
5.9%
6.1%
45–54
6.0%
7.4%
35–44
6.9%
8.3%
25–34
7.6%
5.3%
18–24
4.5%
7.9%
5–17
7.5%
2.9%
<5
2.7%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Median household income
Inflation-adjusted dollars
$106,268
Congressional District 52 ranks near the middle of US counties.
Congressional District 52$106,268
California$99,122
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
10.3%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 1811.8%
Working age (18–64)9.9%
Seniors (65+)10.1%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
2024 ACS
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
62.7%
speak English only
Spanish24.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander7.8%
Other Indo-European3.7%
Other languages1.7%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
2020 religion census
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Catholic & Orthodox
23.2%
Other Christian
10.1%
Non-Christian
3.1%
Pentecostal & Holiness
1.5%
Mainline Protestant
1.5%
Baptist
1.4%
Methodist
0.6%
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 58.6% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

California's 52nd district covers central San Diego and UC San Diego's La Jolla campus, producing consistent Democratic margins above 25 points driven by a young, highly educated, and diverse resident base.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of forty-seven points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved sixteen points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was twenty-one points.

A population of 110,543, a 48% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $106,268 describe the district.

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.
Congressional District 52, California. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/0652/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did Congressional District 52, California vote in 2024?
In 2024, Congressional District 52, California voted Democratic by 21.2 points (D+21), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 268,997 votes cast, 159,446 went Democratic and 102,427 went Republican.
What is Congressional District 52, California's political typology?
Akashic places Congressional District 52, California in the "Florida Surge" typology. The typology is a data-driven cluster built from vote share, vote swing, race and ethnicity, income, language spoken at home, religion, and ancestry. Across 5 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 5 times, Republican 0 times, and other 0 times.
How many people live in Congressional District 52, California?
Congressional District 52, California has a population of 110,543 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Congressional District 52, California?
Median household income in Congressional District 52, California is $106,268 — above the national median of $80,734. The California state median is $99,122.
What is the political history of Congressional District 52, California?
Akashic tracks 5 presidential elections in Congressional District 52, California from 2008 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 0 went Republican. The district's typology — "Florida Surge" — captures where that record, its demographics, and its recent swing place it among American communities.