Richest/Poorest Congressional Districts

[HAnnA MArin County]

I don't know if this subject has been discussed (if so, someone please kindly point me to the post and I'll move the discussion there), but if not, I'd be interested in getting everyone's opinions on this subject. In analyzing the richest and poorest congressional districts, it seems as though there isn't that much of a direct correlation in income to political party. Are the days of the Democrats being the poor man's party and Republicans being the rich man's party over? Explain.

*Note: All data comes from the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau*

10 Poorest Congressional Districts

1. NY-16 (Jose Serrano, D) - New York City/The Bronx: Bedford Park, East Tremont, Fordham, Hunts Point, Melrose, Highbridge, Morrisania, Mott Haven, University Heights.
Demographics: 62.8% Hispanic/Latino; 40.7% Other Races; 36.0% African American/Black; 20.4% Caucasian/White; 1.8% Asian; 1.2% Native American/Alaskan Native.
Median Household Income: $19,311
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 94.76% - John McCain (R) 5.04%.
CPVI: D+41

2. KY-05 (Harold Rogers, R) - Southeastern Kentucky: Pikeville, Morehead, Somerset, Corbin, Middlesborough.
Demographics: 97.6% White; 1.1% Black; 0.8% Other; 0.7% Hispanic; 0.3% Asian; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $21,915
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 67.01% - Barack Obama (D) 31.24%.
CPVI: R+16

3. WV-03 (Nick Rahall, D) - Southern West Virginia: Huntington, Beckley, Princeton, Bluefield, Williamson, Oak Hill.
Demographics: 94.4% White; 4.1% Black; 0.9% Other; 0.6% Hispanic; 0.4% Asian; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $25,630
2008 Election Results: John McCain (R) 55.76% - Barack Obama (D) 42.29%.
CPVI: R+6

4. CA-31 (Xavier Becerra, D) - Los Angeles/Hollywood.
Demographics: 70.2% Hispanic; 46.1% Other; 34.2% White; 14.0% Asian; 4.7% Black; 1.1% Native American.
Median Household Income: $26,093
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 79.87% - John McCain (R) 17.83%.
CPVI: D+29

5. AL-07 (Artur Davis, D) - The Black Belt: Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Selma, Irondale, Forestdale, Fairfield, Bessemer, Northport, Demopolis.
Demographics: 62.0% Black; 36.0% White; 1.3% Hispanic; 1.2% Other; 0.6% Asian; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $26,672
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 72.36% - John McCain (R) 27.28%.
CPVI: D+18

6. CA-20 (Jim Costa, D) - Fresno, Sanger, Selma, Hanford, Lemoore, Corcoran, Delano, Wasco, Lamont.
Demographics: 63.1% Hispanic; 44.8% Other; 40.0% White; 7.6% Black; 5.8% Asian; 1.8% Native American.
Median Household Income: $26,800
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 59.59% - John McCain (R) 38.73%.
CPVI: D+5

7. TX-15 (Ruben Hinojosa, D) - Southern Texas: McAllen, Beeville, Harlingen, Weslaco, Alice, Edinburg.
Demographics: 77.6% White; 77.6% Hispanic; 19.5% Other; 1.8% Black; 0.6% Asian; 0.5% Native American.
Median Household Income: $26,840
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 59.69% - John McCain (R) 39.76%.
CPVI: D+3

8. MS-02 (Bennie Thompson, D) - Western Mississippi/Delta: Jackson, Vicksburg, Greenville, Greenwood, Clinton, Clarksdale.
Demographics: 63.5% Black; 35.0% White; 1.2% Hispanic; 0.9% Other; 0.4% Asian; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $26,894
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 65.86% - John McCain (R) 33.57%.
CPVI: D+12

9. LA-05 (Rodney Alexander, R) - Central Louisiana: Monroe, Alexandria, Bastrop, Ruston, Pineville.
Demographics: 64.1% White; 33.9% Black; 1.3% Hispanic; 1.1% Other; 0.5% Asian; 0.4% Native American.
Median Household Income: $27,453
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 61.75% - Barack Obama (D) 36.96%.
CPVI: R+14

10. LA-02 (Joseph Cao, R) - New Orleans, Kenner, Marrero, Timberlane, Estelle.
Demographics: 64.1% Black; 30.2% White; 3.8% Hispanic; 2.7% Asian; 2.6% Other; 0.3% Native American.
Median Household Income: $27,514
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 74.13% - John McCain (R) 24.86%.
CPVI: D+25

10 Richest Congressional Districts

1. VA-11 (Gerald Connoly, D) - Northern Virginia: Mount Vernon, Dale City, West Springfield, Burke, Annandale.
Demographics: 71.4% White; 10.9% Asian; 10.3% Black; 9.1% Hispanic; 7.1% Other; 0.3% Native American.
Median Household Income: $80,397
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 57.02% - John McCain (R) 42.06%.
CPVI: D+2

2. NJ-11 (Rodney Frelinghuysen, R) - Morristown, Madison, Somerville, Dover, Hopatcong.
Demographics: 87.5% White; 6.8% Hispanic; 6.4% Asian; 3.2% Other; 2.8% Black; 0.1% Native American.
Median Household Income: $79,009
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 53.68% - Barack Obama (D) 45.36%.
CPVI: R+7

3. CA-14 (Anna Eshoo, D) - Silicon Valley: Redwood City, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Mountain View, Menlo Park.
Demographics: 67.4% White; 17.5% Hispanic; 16.1% Asian; 12.8% Other; 3.1% Black; 0.5% Native American.
Median Household Income: $77,985
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 73.11% - John McCain (R) 24.88%.
CPVI: D+21

4. CA-15 (Mike Honda, D) - Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Milpitas.
Demographics: 54.7% White; 29.4% Asian; 17.2% Hispanic; 12.7% Other; 2.5% Black; 0.6% Native American.
Median Household Income: $74,947
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 68.39% - John McCain (R) 29.68%.
CPVI: D+15

5. NJ-07 (Leonard Lance, R) - South Plainsfield, Scotch Plains, Cranford, Westfield, Roselle.
Demographics: 83.4% White; 8.2% Asian; 6.9% Hispanic; 4.6% Black; 3.6% Other; 0.1% Native American.
Median Household Income: $74,823
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 51.16% - John McCain (R) 47.69%.
CPVI: R+3

6. CO-06 (Michael Coffman, R) - Littleton, Centennial, Castle Rock, Aurora.
Demographics: 91.1% White; 5.8% Hispanic; 3.8% Other; 2.7% Asian; 1.9% Black; 0.5% Native American.
Median Household Income: $73,393
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 52.48% - Barack Obama (D) 46.17%.
CPVI: R+14

7. NJ-05 (Scott Garrett, R) - West Milford, Ridgewood, Paramus, Dumont, Bergenfield.
Demographics: 89.3% White; 6.6% Asian; 4.5% Hispanic; 2.4% Other; 1.5% Black; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $72,781
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 53.55% - Barack Obama (D) 45.43%.
CPVI: R+7

8. GA-06 (Tom Price, R) - Vinings, Sandy Springs, Doraville, Dunwoody, Roswell, Alpharetta, Woodstock.
Demographics: 84.4% White; 6.8% Black; 6.2% Hispanic; 4.4% Asian; 4.1% Other; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $71,699
2008 Election Result: John McCain (R) 62.26% - Barack Obama (D) 36.56%.
CPVI: R+19

9. IL-13 (Judy Biggert, R) - Chicago Suburbs: Naperville, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Westmont, Woodridge, Orland Park
Demographics: 84.9% White; 6.6% Asian; 5.5% Hispanic; 5.0% Black; 3.3% Other; 0.1% Native American.
Median Household Income: $71,686
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 54.21% - John McCain (R) 44.60%.
CPVI: R+1

10. IL-10 (Mark Kirk, R) - Chicago Suburbs: North Chicago, Waukegan, Highland Park, Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Glenview.
Demographics: 81.2% White; 12.3% Hispanic; 7.2% Other; 5.9% Asian; 5.4% Black; 0.2% Native American.
Median Household Income: $71,663
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 60.92% - John McCain (R) 38.13%.
CPVI: D+6

[Bo]

It's interesting that the poorest district elect liberal Democrats if they're heavily minority, or Republicans/Blue Dog Democrats if they're heavily white (for the most part). Also, it's interesting that Democrats control many of the wealthiest districts in America. Not what you'd expect, but apparently social issues are very important in those districts.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You people are new this game, aren't you.

[Хahar 🤔]

3. CA-14 (Anna Eshoo, D) - Silicon Valley: Redwood City, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Mountain View, Menlo Park.
Demographics: 67.4% White; 17.5% Hispanic; 16.1% Asian; 12.8% Other; 3.1% Black; 0.5% Native American.
Median Household Income: $77,985
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 73.11% - John McCain (R) 24.88%.
CPVI: D+21

4. CA-15 (Mike Honda, D) - Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Milpitas.
Demographics: 54.7% White; 29.4% Asian; 17.2% Hispanic; 12.7% Other; 2.5% Black; 0.6% Native American.
Median Household Income: $74,947
2008 Election Result: Barack Obama (D) 68.39% - John McCain (R) 29.68%.
CPVI: D+15

Here be high cost of living.

[nclib]

It's interesting that the poorest district elect liberal Democrats if they're heavily minority, or Republicans/Blue Dog Democrats if they're heavily white (for the most part).

Yes, and the poorest white districts tend to be go GOP at the Presidential level even if they send a Blue Dog to Congress. I demonstrated a few years ago how the 20 (I think) poorest white-majority CD's all voted for Bush.

[memphis]

Just goes to show that ethnicity is a much better indicator of voting beharior than income is.

[they don't love you like i love you]

I made more last year than all of the bottom 10. Wow.

CO-6 seems like an odd place to elect someone like Tom Tancredo, especially as it wasn't that strong for McCain anyway...

[Bo]

I made more last year than all of the bottom 10. Wow.

CO-6 seems like an odd place to elect someone like Tom Tancredo, especially as it wasn't that strong for McCain anyway...

Bush received a much larger percentage in CO-06 than McCain did. Tancredo didn't run in 2008--he only ran in years where the GOP was pretty popular (with the exceptions of 1998 and 2006). Also, the Democrats didn't find a strong challenger against Tancredo since 2000, while also helped Tancredo since he was the incumbent.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Has anyone ever seen/done an examination of the relationship between income and vote across all CD's? It's doesn't seem at all obvious what the graph would look like - my general understanding of the situation is that within pretty much every region of the country (except maybe the west coast), the richer areas are more R and the poorer areas more D, but that D regions overall are richer than R regions overall.

[memphis]

Has anyone ever seen/done an examination of the relationship between income and vote across all CD's? It's doesn't seem at all obvious what the graph would look like - my general understanding of the situation is that within pretty much every region of the country (except maybe the west coast), the richer areas are more R and the poorer areas more D, but that D regions overall are richer than R regions overall.

I haven't crunched the numbers, but I see little reason to believe there's any correlation between income and voting behavior. Both parties have plenty of poor and plenty of wealthy districts. Again, it's all about ethnicity.

[Gren]

Looks like Republicans in affluent districts are also somewhat socially moderate (Kirk, Biggert, Coffman, Lance and Frelinghuysen)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

my general understanding of the situation is that within pretty much every region of the country (except maybe the west coast), the richer areas are more R and the poorer areas more D, but that D regions overall are richer than R regions overall.

More or less true, yeah. A lot of that is down to the increasingly metropolitan nature of the Democratic vote in Presidential elections; the greatest Democrat strongholds are now the largest metropolitan areas (including and especially Bosnywash).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Again, it's all about ethnicity.

If this were true, then the Republican control of federal government institutions would be essentially uncontested. Ethnicity is of massive importance, but it isn't dominant outside the South or parts of the South West.

[they don't love you like i love you]

To be fair, he said "ethnicity", not "race".

[memphis]

To be fair, he said "ethnicity", not "race".

This. "White" is a completely meaningless construction. Take out Jews, Hispanics, etc. who identify as white and the pattern becomes even clearer.

[nclib]

To be fair, he said "ethnicity", not "race".

This. "White" is a completely meaningless construction. Take out Jews, Hispanics, etc. who identify as white and the pattern becomes even clearer.

Such "whites" are predominantly Republican, but not to the extent that others vote Democratic. Among such "whites", probably the biggest factor is urban/rural.

[fezzyfestoon]

Haha, I live in the second richest.

My defense was gonna be that I spent my youth elsewhere...but that one's seventh.

[Verily]

Interestingly, despite Maryland being the wealthiest state, not a single Maryland district made the list of the ten wealthiest CDs. (I'm surprised at least Chris Van Hollen's seat isn't there.)