John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon.
John F. Kennedy (D) vs Richard Nixon (R), with Unpledged Democratic electors (Harry F. Byrd) (Unpledged) carrying counties. Every state below links to its full contest page with county-level results.
Nominees: John F. Kennedy (D) · Richard Nixon (R) · Unpledged Democratic electors (Harry F. Byrd) (Unpledged)
The 1960 cycle at a glance
The popular vote in the long run
National Democratic-minus-Republican margin, 1892–1960. Blue above the line is a Democratic margin, red below Republican.
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +1.7% |
| 1896 | −6.1% |
| 1900 | −7.5% |
| 1904 | −19.7% |
| 1908 | −9.6% |
| 1912 | +19.5% |
| 1916 | +3.1% |
| 1920 | −26.2% |
| 1924 | −25.2% |
| 1928 | −17.5% |
| 1932 | +17.8% |
| 1936 | +24.3% |
| 1940 | +9.9% |
| 1944 | +7.5% |
| 1948 | +4.5% |
| 1952 | −10.8% |
| 1956 | −15.4% |
| 1960 | +0.2% |
The path to 269
Kennedy's states, safest to closest — the running electoral-vote total crosses 269 at the tipping-point state.
Electoral college
537 electors at stake · 269 to win
D Kennedy won the presidency, clearing the 269-vote majority with 34 to spare.
Tipping-point stateOrdered from Kennedy’s strongest states down, Missouri cast the electoral votes that crossed 269 — Kennedy carried it D+0.5.
How the country moved
Every county that voted in both cycles, placed by how its margin swung and sized by its turnout. 2,105 of 3,095 moved toward the Democrats. The median county swung D+5.9; weighted by turnout — the average voter's county — the shift was D+16.0.
The sharpest county swings
Of the counties reporting in both cycles, the biggest shifts in presidential margin since 1956. Each links to the county's full record.
| County | State | Swing | 1956 margin | 1960 margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long County | GA | R+114.7 | D+61.9 | R+52.7 |
| Lafourche Parish | LA | D+81.9 | R+23.9 | D+58.0 |
| Conejos County | CO | D+79.5 | R+59.6 | D+19.9 |
| Terrebonne Parish | LA | D+77.2 | R+32.8 | D+44.4 |
| Plaquemines Parish | LA | D+74.0 | R+66.7 | D+7.3 |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | LA | D+73.3 | R+3.5 | D+69.8 |
Results by state
Every row links to the state's contest page with its county map. Electoral votes reflect the 1960 apportionment. The Swing column is the change in margin since 1956; the faint tick on each bar marks where the state stood then.
| State | Won | Electoral votes | Margin | Swing | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | R | 3 | — | 58,532 | 60,838 | 119,370 | |
| Alabama | D | 11 | R+2.9 | 318,303 | 237,981 | 562,136 | |
| Arkansas | D | 8 | D+0.5 | 215,049 | 184,508 | 428,509 | |
| Arizona | R | 4 | D+10.9 | 176,408 | 220,742 | 397,616 | |
| California | R | 32 | D+10.6 | 3,224,099 | 3,259,722 | 6,506,578 | |
| Colorado | R | 6 | D+10.0 | 330,629 | 402,242 | 736,236 | |
| Connecticut | D | 8 | D+34.9 | 657,042 | 565,796 | 1,222,852 | |
| Delaware | D | 3 | D+12.1 | 99,590 | 96,373 | 196,683 | |
| Florida | R | 10 | D+11.5 | 748,700 | 795,476 | 1,544,176 | |
| Georgia | D | 12 | R+9.0 | 458,638 | 274,472 | 733,110 | |
| Hawaii | D | 3 | — | 92,410 | 92,295 | 184,705 | |
| Iowa | R | 10 | D+4.9 | 550,565 | 722,381 | 1,273,810 | |
| Idaho | R | 4 | D+14.8 | 138,853 | 161,597 | 300,450 | |
| Illinois | D | 27 | D+19.4 | 2,377,846 | 2,368,988 | 4,757,409 | |
| Indiana | R | 13 | D+9.8 | 952,358 | 1,175,120 | 2,135,360 | |
| Kansas | R | 8 | D+9.9 | 363,213 | 561,474 | 928,825 | |
| Kentucky | R | 10 | D+1.9 | 521,855 | 602,607 | 1,124,462 | |
| Louisiana | D | 10 | D+35.6 | 407,339 | 230,980 | 807,891 | |
| Massachusetts | D | 16 | D+39.6 | 1,487,174 | 976,750 | 2,469,480 | |
| Maryland | D | 9 | D+27.3 | 565,808 | 489,538 | 1,055,349 | |
| Maine | R | 5 | D+27.6 | 181,159 | 240,608 | 421,773 | |
| Michigan | D | 20 | D+13.5 | 1,687,269 | 1,620,428 | 3,318,097 | |
| Minnesota | D | 11 | D+9.0 | 779,933 | 757,915 | 1,541,887 | |
| Missouri | D | 13 | D+0.3 | 972,201 | 962,221 | 1,934,422 | |
| Mississippi | O | 8 | R+22.1 | 108,362 | 73,561 | 298,171 | |
| Montana | R | 4 | D+11.8 | 134,891 | 141,841 | 277,579 | |
| North Carolina | D | 14 | D+2.9 | 713,136 | 655,420 | 1,368,556 | |
| North Dakota | R | 4 | D+12.7 | 123,963 | 154,310 | 278,431 | |
| Nebraska | R | 6 | D+6.9 | 232,542 | 380,553 | 613,095 | |
| New Hampshire | R | 4 | D+25.4 | 137,772 | 157,989 | 295,761 | |
| New Jersey | D | 16 | D+31.3 | 1,385,415 | 1,363,324 | 2,773,111 | |
| New Mexico | D | 4 | D+16.8 | 156,027 | 153,733 | 311,107 | |
| Nevada | D | 3 | D+18.3 | 54,880 | 52,387 | 107,267 | |
| New York | D | 45 | D+27.7 | 3,830,085 | 3,446,419 | 7,291,079 | |
| Ohio | R | 25 | D+15.7 | 1,944,248 | 2,217,611 | 4,161,859 | |
| Oklahoma | R | 8 | R+7.8 | 370,111 | 533,039 | 903,150 | |
| Oregon | R | 6 | D+5.3 | 367,402 | 408,060 | 776,421 | |
| Pennsylvania | D | 32 | D+15.5 | 2,556,282 | 2,439,956 | 5,006,541 | |
| Rhode Island | D | 4 | D+43.8 | 258,032 | 147,502 | 405,535 | |
| South Carolina | D | 8 | R+17.7 | 198,129 | 188,558 | 386,688 | |
| South Dakota | R | 4 | D+0.3 | 128,070 | 178,417 | 306,487 | |
| Tennessee | R | 11 | R+6.5 | 481,453 | 556,577 | 1,051,776 | |
| Texas | D | 24 | D+13.3 | 1,167,567 | 1,121,310 | 2,311,084 | |
| Utah | R | 4 | D+19.5 | 169,248 | 205,362 | 374,710 | |
| Virginia | R | 12 | D+11.6 | 361,850 | 403,714 | 770,162 | |
| Vermont | R | 3 | D+27.0 | 69,186 | 98,131 | 167,324 | |
| Washington | R | 9 | D+6.1 | 599,298 | 629,273 | 1,241,572 | |
| Wisconsin | R | 12 | D+20.0 | 830,805 | 895,175 | 1,729,082 | |
| West Virginia | D | 8 | D+13.6 | 441,786 | 395,995 | 837,781 | |
| Wyoming | R | 3 | D+10.1 | 63,331 | 77,451 | 140,782 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1960 presidential returns · official state + county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.