Abilene-Sweetwater
Safe Republican — shifted 3.2pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 322K residents — 17 counties
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 63.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 25.9% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 5.9% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.3% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.1% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(5) | 0.4% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.3% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 46.5% | 71.9% |
| Catholic | 9.3% | 14.4% |
| Mainline Protestant | 6.5% | 10.0% |
| Other | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| Black Protestant | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Non-religious | 35.3% | — |
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+63.6 |
| 2020 | Trump+60.4 |
| 2016 | Trump+62.1 |
| 2012 | Romney+59.8 |
| 2008 | McCain+51.4 |
| 2004 | Bush+54.7 |
| 2000 | Bush+44.6 |
| 1996 | Dole+14.5 |
| 1992 | Bush+9.3 |
Abilene-Sweetwater is a media market that has a population of 322,208. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+63.6. Akashic Edge tracks 39 presidential elections here, dating back to 1872.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.8% | 81.4% | R+63.6 | R+3.2 |
| 2020 | 19.2% | 79.5% | R+60.4 | D+1.8 |
| 2016 | 17.0% | 79.1% | R+62.1 | R+2.4 |
| 2012 | 19.5% | 79.2% | R+59.8 | R+8.4 |
| 2008 | 23.8% | 75.2% | R+51.4 | D+3.3 |
| 2004 | 22.4% | 77.1% | R+54.7 | R+10.1 |
| 2000 | 26.9% | 71.5% | R+44.6 | R+30.2 |
| 1996 | 37.9% | 52.4% | R+14.5 | R+5.2 |
| 1992 | 33.2% | 42.4% | R+9.3 | D+9.6 |
| 1988 | 40.3% | 59.2% | R+18.9 | D+21.5 |
| 1984 | 29.6% | 70.0% | R+40.4 | R+27.0 |
| 1980 | 42.5% | 55.9% | R+13.4 | R+19.9 |
| 1976 | 53.0% | 46.5% | D+6.5 | D+55.7 |
| 1972 | 25.1% | 74.2% | R+49.2 | R+54.6 |
| 1968 | 43.5% | 38.1% | D+5.5 | R+30.4 |
| 1964 | 67.9% | 32.0% | D+35.9 | D+30.6 |
| 1960 | 52.5% | 47.2% | D+5.3 | D+6.5 |
| 1956 | 49.3% | 50.5% | R+1.2 | D+3.1 |
| 1952 | 47.8% | 52.1% | R+4.3 | R+72.8 |
| 1948 | 82.1% | 13.6% | D+68.5 | — |
What defines Abilene-Sweetwater?
Abilene-Sweetwater voted overwhelmingly Republican in 2024. Akashic Edge tracks 39 presidential elections here, revealing how its political character has evolved over more than a century.
Constituent Counties
Similar media markets
Counties in Abilene-Sweetwater
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor | 146K | R+49.8 | 13,624 | 41,198 | 55,417 | 43.1% |
| Brown | 38K | R+73.9 | 2,132 | 14,593 | 16,853 | 13.1% |
| Jones | 20K | R+73.1 | 907 | 5,988 | 6,947 | 5.4% |
| Eastland | 18K | R+77.5 | 918 | 7,397 | 8,364 | 6.5% |
| Scurry | 16K | R+73.6 | 734 | 4,945 | 5,721 | 4.4% |
| Nolan | 14K | R+59.2 | 1,020 | 4,048 | 5,115 | 4.0% |
| Callahan | 14K | R+77.5 | 761 | 6,180 | 6,988 | 5.4% |
| Runnels | 10K | R+77.1 | 452 | 3,580 | 4,056 | 3.2% |
| Stephens | 9K | R+79.3 | 384 | 3,368 | 3,761 | 2.9% |
| Mitchell | 9K | R+71.3 | 352 | 2,144 | 2,513 | 2.0% |
| Coleman | 8K | R+79.0 | 428 | 3,712 | 4,156 | 3.2% |
| Haskell | 5K | R+71.4 | 313 | 1,918 | 2,247 | 1.7% |
| Fisher | 4K | R+63.2 | 330 | 1,487 | 1,830 | 1.4% |
| Knox | 3K | R+68.5 | 214 | 1,156 | 1,376 | 1.1% |
| Shackelford | 3K | R+82.1 | 146 | 1,565 | 1,728 | 1.3% |
| Throckmorton | 2K | R+83.3 | 73 | 823 | 900 | 0.7% |
| Stonewall | 1K | R+69.0 | 110 | 604 | 716 | 0.6% |
Ask the Historian
Key Insights
- Has voted Republican in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Republican landslide with a 63.6% margin
- College attainment is 23% — 10pp below the national average. Similar education levels correlate with Republican lean nationally
Who Lives Here
| Group | Abilene-Sweetwater | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 63.2% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 25.9% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 5.9% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.3% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.3% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(5) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Religious Adherents
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -62.0pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.5% | 71.9% | — | — | |
| 9.3% | 14.4% | — | — | |
| 6.5% | 10.0% | — | — | |
| 1.6% | 2.5% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.9% | 1.4% | — | — |
| 0.8% | 1.2% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 35.3% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Abilene-Sweetwater media market? 322,208 residents across 17 counties.
Demographics
23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 10pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 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 Abilene-Sweetwater
How competitive is Abilene-Sweetwater?
Do voters in Abilene-Sweetwater split their tickets?
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | R+63.6 | R+59.1 | 4.5pp |