State College, PA
Latest: 2024
Competitive — 159K residents — 1 counties
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 82.8% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 3.7% |
▶Black / African American(12) | 3.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 5.8% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 1.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.2% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Mainline Protestant | 11.9% | 35.2% |
| Catholic | 10.0% | 29.4% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 9.7% | 28.6% |
| Other | 2.0% | 5.9% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.9% | 2.7% |
| Black Protestant | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Non-religious | 66.2% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+2.8 |
| 2020 | Biden+4.8 |
| 2016 | Clinton+2.3 |
| 2012 | Obama+0.3 |
| 2008 | Obama+11.8 |
| 2004 | Bush+3.7 |
| 2000 | Bush+9.6 |
| 1996 | Clinton+0.4 |
| 1992 | Clinton+1.4 |
State College, PA is a metro area that has a population of 158,576. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+2.8. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 50.9% | 48.1% | D+2.8 | R+1.9 |
| 2020 | 51.7% | 46.9% | D+4.8 | D+2.4 |
| 2016 | 48.0% | 45.6% | D+2.3 | D+2.1 |
| 2012 | 48.9% | 48.7% | D+0.3 | R+11.5 |
| 2008 | 55.1% | 43.3% | D+11.8 | D+15.5 |
| 2004 | 47.7% | 51.5% | R+3.7 | D+5.9 |
| 2000 | 43.2% | 52.8% | R+9.6 | R+10.1 |
| 1996 | 45.2% | 44.7% | D+0.4 | R+0.9 |
| 1992 | 41.3% | 40.0% | D+1.4 | D+14.3 |
| 1988 | 43.2% | 56.1% | R+13.0 | D+13.3 |
| 1984 | 36.6% | 62.8% | R+26.2 | R+15.4 |
| 1980 | 37.5% | 48.3% | R+10.8 | R+2.6 |
| 1976 | 44.2% | 52.4% | R+8.2 | D+13.7 |
| 1972 | 38.6% | 60.5% | R+21.9 | R+5.4 |
| 1968 | 39.1% | 55.6% | R+16.5 | R+43.5 |
| 1964 | 63.2% | 36.2% | D+27.0 | D+63.1 |
| 1960 | 31.9% | 68.0% | R+36.1 | R+1.6 |
| 1956 | 32.6% | 67.2% | R+34.6 | R+1.6 |
| 1952 | 33.3% | 66.3% | R+33.0 | R+9.9 |
| 1948 | 38.5% | 61.5% | R+23.0 | — |
What defines State College, PA?
State College, PA has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (5D, 1R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a predominantly white, college-educated electorate that has shifted sharply toward Democrats in the Trump era.
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Counties in State College, PA
2024 presidential results across the counties that make up this geography.
Sort:
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | 159K | D+2.8 | 41,119 | 38,829 | 80,792 | 100.0% |
1 countiesTotal votes: 80,792
Ask the Historian
Explore State College, PA's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- The 2012 election was decided by just 0.3 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2004
Who Lives Here
A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
| Group | State College, PA | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 82.8% | 57.4% |
▶Asian(6) | 5.8% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.2% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 3.7% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(12) | 3.3% | 12.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 1.0% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Method notes
Religious Adherents
Population that are religious adherents:
33.8%
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.9% | 35.2% | — | — | |
| 10.0% | 29.4% | — | — | |
| 9.7% | 28.6% | — | — | |
| 2.0% | 5.9% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.9% | 2.7% | — | — |
| 0.1% | 0.4% | — | — | |
| 0.1% | 0.4% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 66.2% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the State College, PA metro area? 158,576 residents across 1 counties.
Demographics
Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 13pp above the national average. Places with similar education levels vote D+16 on average nationally.
Population & electorate
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Total population
159K
Share of U.S. population
0.05%
Voting-age population
71.7%
Economic profile
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Median household income
$74,291
Poverty rate
16.3%
College degree
46.2%
Homeownership
61.8%
Community profile
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Median age
34.2 yrs
Age 18–29
29.9%
Age 65+
15.9%
Foreign born
8.0%
Non-English at home
12.4%
English only
87.6%
Turnout in State College, PA
Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
71.1%
+2.9pp
113,649
1988–2024
How competitive is State College, PA?
Tilt DAvg margin: D+3.3 (last 3 elections)
2008
D+11.8
2012
D+0.3
2016
D+2.3
2020
D+4.8
2024
D+2.8
11.5pp
2
D+4.4
Do voters in State College, PA split their tickets?
Divergence between offices in the same election reveals persuadable voters.
Moderate splitting (73/100)
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | D+2.8 | D+2.9 | 0.1pp |
Average divergence across office pairs: 6.3pp
Located In
State College, PA sits inside these higher-level geographies.
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