Columbus, OH
Competitive — shifted 3.2pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 2.2M residents — 10 counties
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 68.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 5.6% |
▶Black / African American(14) | 16.1% |
▶Asian(6) | 5.1% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.9% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 17.8% | 41.9% |
| Catholic | 11.5% | 27.2% |
| Mainline Protestant | 6.7% | 15.7% |
| Other | 4.5% | 10.5% |
| Black Protestant | 1.5% | 3.5% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.7% | 1.7% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Non-religious | 57.6% | — |
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+5.0 |
| 2020 | Biden+8.2 |
| 2016 | Clinton+4.6 |
| 2012 | Obama+6.9 |
| 2008 | Obama+5.7 |
| 2004 | Bush+4.7 |
| 2000 | Bush+9.4 |
| 1996 | Dole+2.5 |
| 1992 | Bush+7.0 |
Columbus, OH is a metro area that has a population of 2,175,788. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+5.0. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52.0% | 47.0% | D+5.0 | R+3.2 |
| 2020 | 53.3% | 45.1% | D+8.2 | D+3.6 |
| 2016 | 48.7% | 44.1% | D+4.6 | R+2.3 |
| 2012 | 52.6% | 45.6% | D+6.9 | D+1.3 |
| 2008 | 52.0% | 46.3% | D+5.7 | D+10.3 |
| 2004 | 47.4% | 52.1% | R+4.7 | D+4.7 |
| 2000 | 43.6% | 53.0% | R+9.4 | R+6.9 |
| 1996 | 44.3% | 46.8% | R+2.5 | D+4.5 |
| 1992 | 36.2% | 43.2% | R+7.0 | D+19.2 |
| 1988 | 36.4% | 62.7% | R+26.2 | D+9.8 |
| 1984 | 31.1% | 67.1% | R+36.0 | R+16.9 |
| 1980 | 37.0% | 56.0% | R+19.0 | R+5.3 |
| 1976 | 41.9% | 55.6% | R+13.7 | D+20.1 |
| 1972 | 31.9% | 65.7% | R+33.8 | R+16.4 |
| 1968 | 34.5% | 52.0% | R+17.4 | R+27.8 |
| 1964 | 55.2% | 44.8% | D+10.3 | D+32.9 |
| 1960 | 38.7% | 61.3% | R+22.6 | D+10.0 |
| 1956 | 33.7% | 66.3% | R+32.6 | R+9.3 |
| 1952 | 38.4% | 61.6% | R+23.3 | R+14.7 |
| 1948 | 45.4% | 54.0% | R+8.6 | — |
What defines Columbus, OH?
Columbus, OH has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (5D, 1R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a racially mixed, moderately educated electorate — the suburban swing demographic that decides close elections.
Constituent Counties
Similar metro areas
Counties in Columbus, OH
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 1.3M | D+28.4 | 380,518 | 210,830 | 598,225 | 57.1% |
| Delaware | 227K | R+6.6 | 61,657 | 70,448 | 133,392 | 12.7% |
| Licking | 182K | R+30.0 | 32,832 | 61,359 | 95,060 | 9.1% |
| Fairfield | 163K | R+24.0 | 31,695 | 51,999 | 84,457 | 8.1% |
| Union | 67K | R+29.6 | 12,934 | 23,982 | 37,301 | 3.6% |
| Pickaway | 60K | R+48.5 | 7,397 | 21,607 | 29,280 | 2.8% |
| Madison | 44K | R+43.7 | 5,713 | 14,737 | 20,669 | 2.0% |
| Perry | 36K | R+54.5 | 3,800 | 13,062 | 16,992 | 1.6% |
| Morrow | 35K | R+55.7 | 4,100 | 14,609 | 18,857 | 1.8% |
| Hocking | 28K | R+44.3 | 3,704 | 9,679 | 13,489 | 1.3% |
Ask the Historian
Key Insights
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2004
- Closest recent contest: 2016 at just 4.6 points
Who Lives Here
| Group | Columbus, OH | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 68.2% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(14) | 16.1% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 5.6% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 5.1% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.9% | 4.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.9% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Religious Adherents
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -19.2pp (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.8% | 41.9% | — | — | |
| 11.5% | 27.2% | — | — | |
| 6.7% | 15.7% | — | — | |
| 4.5% | 10.5% | — | — | |
| 1.5% | 3.5% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.7% | 1.7% | — | — |
| 0.5% | 1.1% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 57.6% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Columbus, OH metro area? 2,175,788 residents across 10 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 Columbus, OH
How competitive is Columbus, OH?
Do voters in Columbus, OH split their tickets?
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | D+5.0 | D+11.3 | 6.4pp |