
Philadelphia
Safe Democratic — shifted 4.5pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 8.4M residents — 18 counties
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 58.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(20) | 13.8% |
▶Black / African American(16) | 17.9% |
▶Asian(6) | 6.1% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.4% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.6% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 25.8% | 53.6% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 7.6% | 15.7% |
| Mainline Protestant | 7.2% | 14.9% |
| Other | 5.3% | 11.0% |
| Black Protestant | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Non-religious | 51.9% | — |
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+20.2 |
| 2020 | Biden+24.7 |
| 2016 | Clinton+22.7 |
| 2012 | Obama+25.4 |
| 2008 | Obama+28.1 |
| 2004 | Kerry+18.2 |
| 2000 | Gore+20.3 |
| 1996 | Clinton+21.3 |
| 1992 | Clinton+13.4 |
Philadelphia is a media market that has a population of 8,395,425. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+20.2. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59.5% | 39.3% | D+20.2 | R+4.5 |
| 2020 | 61.7% | 37.0% | D+24.7 | D+2.0 |
| 2016 | 59.3% | 36.6% | D+22.7 | R+2.8 |
| 2012 | 62.1% | 36.6% | D+25.4 | R+2.7 |
| 2008 | 63.5% | 35.4% | D+28.1 | D+9.9 |
| 2004 | 58.8% | 40.6% | D+18.2 | R+2.2 |
| 2000 | 58.7% | 38.3% | D+20.3 | R+1.0 |
| 1996 | 55.2% | 33.9% | D+21.3 | D+8.0 |
| 1992 | 47.6% | 34.2% | D+13.4 | D+17.8 |
| 1988 | 47.3% | 51.7% | R+4.4 | D+4.0 |
| 1984 | 45.6% | 53.9% | R+8.4 | R+3.6 |
| 1980 | 42.9% | 47.6% | R+4.7 | R+12.8 |
| 1976 | 53.1% | 45.1% | D+8.1 | D+22.6 |
| 1972 | 42.0% | 56.5% | R+14.5 | R+21.6 |
| 1968 | 48.7% | 41.7% | D+7.0 | R+25.9 |
| 1964 | 66.3% | 33.3% | D+33.0 | D+23.8 |
| 1960 | 54.4% | 45.3% | D+9.1 | D+17.6 |
| 1956 | 45.6% | 54.1% | R+8.5 | R+7.5 |
| 1952 | 49.3% | 50.3% | R+0.9 | D+3.2 |
| 1948 | 46.7% | 50.9% | R+4.2 | — |
What defines Philadelphia?
It has a racially mixed, moderately educated electorate — the suburban swing demographic that decides close elections.
Constituent Counties
Similar media markets
Counties in Philadelphia
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1.6M | D+58.8 | 568,571 | 144,311 | 721,441 | 16.7% |
| Montgomery | 868K | D+22.8 | 317,103 | 198,311 | 520,906 | 12.1% |
| Bucks | 647K | R+0.1 | 198,431 | 198,722 | 401,028 | 9.3% |
| Delaware | 579K | D+23.7 | 201,324 | 123,421 | 328,172 | 7.6% |
| New Castle | 578K | D+32.6 | 180,700 | 90,868 | 275,917 | 6.4% |
| Chester | 548K | D+14.5 | 184,281 | 137,299 | 324,964 | 7.5% |
| Camden | 527K | D+27.4 | 155,522 | 87,767 | 246,954 | 5.7% |
| Burlington | 468K | D+16.6 | 132,275 | 94,116 | 229,466 | 5.3% |
| Berks | 433K | R+12.2 | 91,125 | 116,677 | 209,838 | 4.9% |
| Mercer | 386K | D+33.9 | 107,558 | 52,274 | 163,270 | 3.8% |
| Lehigh | 379K | D+2.7 | 96,317 | 91,207 | 189,810 | 4.4% |
| Northampton | 319K | R+1.8 | 86,655 | 89,817 | 178,215 | 4.1% |
| Gloucester | 307K | R+2.8 | 78,708 | 83,326 | 164,635 | 3.8% |
| Atlantic | 276K | R+3.0 | 61,879 | 65,817 | 129,759 | 3.0% |
| Kent | 188K | D+2.0 | 44,222 | 42,458 | 88,141 | 2.0% |
| Cumberland | 153K | R+3.8 | 26,577 | 28,675 | 55,885 | 1.3% |
| Cape May | 95K | R+19.3 | 21,648 | 32,151 | 54,568 | 1.3% |
| Salem | 65K | R+19.2 | 12,275 | 18,229 | 31,001 | 0.7% |
Ask the Historian
Key Insights
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Democratic landslide with a 20.2% margin
- Swung 4.5 points toward Republican between 2020 and 2024
Who Lives Here
| Group | Philadelphia | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 58.2% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(16) | 17.9% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(20) | 13.8% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 6.1% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.6% | 4.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.9% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
Religious Adherents
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +33.4pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Catholic-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Democratic-leaning urban and suburban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.8% | 53.6% | — | — | |
| 7.6% | 15.7% | — | — | |
| 7.2% | 14.9% | — | — | |
| 5.3% | 11.0% | — | — | |
| 1.9% | 3.9% | — | — | |
| 0.4% | 0.9% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.3% | 0.7% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 51.9% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Philadelphia media market? 8,395,425 residents across 18 counties.
Demographics
40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 7pp above the national average. Places with similar education levels vote D+8 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Turnout in Philadelphia
How competitive is Philadelphia?
Do voters in Philadelphia split their tickets?
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Governor | D+20.2 | D+21.8 | 1.6pp |
| President vs Senate | D+20.2 | D+21.5 | 1.3pp |
| Senate vs Governor | D+21.5 | D+21.8 | 0.3pp |