State House District 159 State House District (PA) — Elections 1876–2024

Pennsylvania 159th State House District, Pennsylvania: Democratic loyalist district. In 2024, voted D+24%. Republican peak: R+69 in 1924.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin: D+24MIT Election Lab
Political archetype: Democratic loyalistAkashic typology
Population: 56,1092024 5-year
Median household income: $89,5462024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic): 63.2%2024 5-year
Black: 22.2%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino: 5.0%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin: D+27 in 2020MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin: R+69 in 1924MIT Election Lab

2024 results by constituent county

1 counties · 1 D · 0 R

R+60

D+60

One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.

38 presidential elections

Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
Year	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	D	+23.7%	19,502	11,956	31,891
2020	D	+26.8%	19,996	11,482	31,766
2016	D	+22.3%	17,185	10,720	28,997
2012	D	+21.3%	16,641	10,738	27,662
2008	D	+21.4%	17,327	11,166	28,771
2004	D	+14.8%	15,751	11,666	27,563
2000	D	+11.7%	13,064	10,252	24,031
1996	D	+9.9%	11,232	8,973	22,740
1992	D	+1.0%	10,773	10,519	25,774
1988	R	−20.9%	9,313	14,303	23,859
1984	R	−24.3%	9,513	15,669	25,359
1980	R	−21.4%	8,555	13,880	24,882
1976	R	−11.6%	11,358	14,402	26,241
1972	R	−29.6%	9,120	16,992	26,586
1968	R	−10.2%	10,335	12,959	25,810
1964	D	+13.9%	14,258	10,771	25,098
1960	R	−4.2%	12,073	13,142	25,262
1956	R	−27.2%	7,946	13,917	21,913
1952	R	−23.5%	7,780	12,568	20,415
1948	R	−23.6%	5,537	9,049	14,852
1944	R	−10.1%	6,202	7,607	13,882
1940	R	−14.1%	5,834	7,765	13,652
1936	R	−6.8%	6,308	7,255	13,854
1932	R	−38.8%	3,140	7,293	10,695
1928	R	−47.6%	2,846	8,049	10,941
1924	R	−69.4%	617	4,068	4,974
1920	R	−54.1%	930	3,306	4,388
1916	R	−34.6%	750	1,580	2,396
1912	O	−10.4%	581	815	2,251
1908	R	−44.1%	555	1,471	2,079
1904	R	−59.5%	347	1,456	1,863
1900	R	−51.9%	412	1,336	1,782
1896	R	−52.8%	404	1,354	1,799
1892	R	−24.5%	535	898	1,479
1888	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	No data	—	—	—

Demographics

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry

Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.

Irish

22.2%

Italian

14.4%

German

11.8%

English

7.7%

Polish

3.5%

American

2.7%

Scottish

1.4%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.

Age distribution by sex

Median age: 39.1 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

0.7%

85+

1.5%

2.1%

75–84

2.8%

4.8%

65–74

5.6%

6.3%

55–64

6.9%

5.8%

45–54

6.0%

6.4%

35–44

6.7%

6.2%

25–34

6.5%

4.9%

18–24

4.9%

8.4%

5–17

8.0%

2.9%

2.8%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Median household income

2024 inflation-adjusted dollars

$89,546

State House District 159 ranks near the middle of US counties.

State House District 159$89,546

Pennsylvania$77,971

United States$80,734

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

10.2%

Child poverty is below the national average.

Children under 1813.2%

Working age (18–64)9.2%

Seniors (65+)10.5%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

86.5%

speak English only

Other Indo-European4.7%

Asian & Pacific Islander3.9%

Spanish3.0%

Other languages1.9%

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Catholic & Orthodox

33.6%

Other Christian

4.4%

Mainline Protestant

4.4%

Non-Christian

3.4%

Methodist

2.2%

Baptist

1.4%

Pentecostal & Holiness

0.6%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 50.0% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

With a 2024 presidential margin of D+36.7, this Philadelphia-area district ranks among the most reliably Democratic constituencies in the state legislature, reflecting the dense urban geography and demographics that characterize its electorate.

The Democratic margin in Pennsylvania 159th State House District reached its widest at twenty-seven points in 2020. The margin in 2024 was twenty-four points — still decisive.

Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $89,546, a 63% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 56,109 together describe a district whose political habits are deeply settled.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page

All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.

State House District 159, Pennsylvania. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/42159/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did State House District 159, Pennsylvania vote in 2024?

In 2024, State House District 159, Pennsylvania voted Democratic by 23.7 points (D+24), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 31,891 votes cast, 19,502 went Democratic and 11,956 went Republican.

What is State House District 159, Pennsylvania's political archetype?

Akashic classifies State House District 159, Pennsylvania as a "Democratic loyalist" district based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 10 times, Republican 23 times, and other 1 times.

When did State House District 159, Pennsylvania last vote Republican?

The most recent presidential election in which State House District 159, Pennsylvania voted Republican was 1988.

How many people live in State House District 159, Pennsylvania?

State House District 159, Pennsylvania has a population of 56,109 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in State House District 159, Pennsylvania?

Median household income in State House District 159, Pennsylvania is $89,546 — above the national median of $80,734. The Pennsylvania state median is $77,971.

What is the political history of State House District 159, Pennsylvania?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 159, Pennsylvania from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 10 went Democratic and 23 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Democratic loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.

Pennsylvania 159th State House District has voted Democratic in nine straight presidential cycles.

Key facts

Demographics

Compare two places, side by side

Frequently asked questions