Rensselaer County, New York
Latest: 2024
Competitive — shifted 4.3pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 78.7% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(16) | 6.2% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 7.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 3.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.7% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 20.1% | 66.3% |
| Mainline Protestant | 4.8% | 15.9% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 3.4% | 11.1% |
| Other | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Black Protestant | 0.8% | 2.7% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| Non-religious | 69.7% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+1.4 |
| 2020 | Biden+5.6 |
| 2016 | Trump+1.4 |
| 2012 | Obama+12.2 |
| 2008 | Obama+9.3 |
| 2004 | Kerry+1.9 |
| 2000 | Gore+7.7 |
| 1996 | Clinton+16.0 |
| 1992 | Clinton+1.1 |
Rensselaer, New York is a county that has a population of 160,332. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+1.4. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 50.4% | 49.0% | D+1.4 | R+4.3 |
| 2020 | 51.6% | 46.0% | D+5.6 | D+7.0 |
| 2016 | 45.7% | 47.1% | R+1.4 | R+13.6 |
| 2012 | 55.0% | 42.8% | D+12.2 | D+2.8 |
| 2008 | 53.7% | 44.4% | D+9.3 | D+7.5 |
| 2004 | 49.7% | 47.9% | D+1.9 | R+5.8 |
| 2000 | 50.9% | 43.2% | D+7.7 | R+8.3 |
| 1996 | 50.7% | 34.7% | D+16.0 | D+14.8 |
| 1992 | 39.9% | 38.8% | D+1.1 | D+4.5 |
| 1988 | 47.8% | 51.2% | R+3.4 | D+20.8 |
| 1984 | 37.8% | 61.9% | R+24.2 | R+21.1 |
| 1980 | 42.8% | 45.9% | R+3.0 | D+13.1 |
| 1976 | 41.6% | 57.8% | R+16.1 | D+17.9 |
| 1972 | 32.9% | 66.9% | R+34.0 | R+26.6 |
| 1968 | 43.1% | 50.5% | R+7.4 | R+49.5 |
| 1964 | 71.0% | 28.9% | D+42.1 | D+47.4 |
| 1960 | 47.3% | 52.6% | R+5.3 | D+40.5 |
| 1956 | 27.1% | 72.9% | R+45.8 | R+10.0 |
| 1952 | 30.7% | 66.5% | R+35.8 | R+18.2 |
| 1948 | 39.1% | 56.7% | R+17.6 | — |
What defines Rensselaer?
Rensselaer has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (5D, 1R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a moderately diverse, middle-class electorate where education levels and suburban growth shape the partisan balance.
County in State Context
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Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- The 2024 election was decided by just 1.4 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2016
- Swung 4.3 points toward Republican between 2020 and 2024