Voter demographics of every state
Midterm elections have the power to reshape the U.S. Congress, set the stage for future presidential elections, and alter the direction of the country at large. In 2020, more than two-thirds of estimated eligible voters in the U.S. voted in the presidential election, the largest voter turnout of the 21st century, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Polling and research experts predict that on midterm election day, Nov. 8, 2022, a new record number of American voters will head to the polls, incentivized by the particularly polarizing politics of the last two years. Inflation, abortion rights, health care, immigration, and the controversies surrounding Donald Trump since he was voted out of office—including the Jan. 6 hearings—are primary concerns that will drive voters to the polls, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll.
Stacker compiled voter demographics for each state and Washington D.C. using the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (released in September 2022) to better understand how the electorate may vote on these issues. Each slide shows the state's voting-age population (citizens who are 18 or older) and the breakdown of that population by sex, age, race, and education level. In order to avoid making any assumptions about the data or the participants of the American Community Survey, Stacker used the exact wording of the "race" and "sex" framework that was provided in the census data.
Eyes will be fixed on key races for congressional control across the country, including in Georgia, where Black Americans make up one-third of all eligible voters statewide and are more likely than any other segment of the population to vote Democrat. Roughly half of all eligible Black voters live in eight states.
Eligible Hispanic voters have also seen significant changes since the last midterm elections, growing by nearly 4.7 million. About 3 out of every 5 new eligible voters in the last four years have been Hispanic. This demographic is an important target for both Democrats and Republicans in the 2022 midterms. While the majority of Hispanic and Latino voters lean Democrat, Trump—and the Republican Party more broadly—has gained popularity with this group in recent years.
Continue reading for an overview of the voter demographics of every state.
