State House District 197 State House District (PA) — Elections 1876–2024

Pennsylvania 197th State House District, Pennsylvania: Democratic loyalist district. In 2024, voted D+59%. Democratic peak: D+71 in 2012.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin: D+59MIT Election Lab
Political archetype: Democratic loyalistAkashic typology
Population: 35,6312024 5-year
Median household income: $61,9532024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic): 35.1%2024 5-year
Black: 39.4%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino: 15.6%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin: D+71 in 2012MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin: R+66 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	+58.6%	12,825	3,255	16,322
2020	D	+63.5%	13,619	2,994	16,722
2016	D	+67.0%	13,173	2,453	16,006
2012	D	+71.3%	13,281	2,176	15,581
2008	D	+66.7%	13,443	2,644	16,180
2004	D	+61.1%	12,230	2,934	15,204
2000	D	+62.1%	10,132	2,277	12,658
1996	D	+61.4%	9,315	1,925	12,028
1992	D	+47.3%	9,810	3,007	14,392
1988	D	+34.1%	10,140	4,941	15,225
1984	D	+30.3%	11,309	6,026	17,415
1980	D	+24.7%	9,502	5,506	16,197
1976	D	+34.3%	11,156	5,391	16,831
1972	D	+11.2%	9,738	7,761	17,683
1968	D	+31.9%	11,859	5,733	19,175
1964	D	+47.2%	15,127	5,407	20,604
1960	D	+36.2%	14,042	6,564	20,645
1956	D	+13.9%	11,442	8,648	20,127
1952	D	+16.7%	12,571	8,952	21,621
1948	D	+0.8%	9,760	9,608	19,969
1944	D	+17.7%	11,196	7,813	19,074
1940	D	+19.9%	12,003	8,005	20,109
1936	D	+23.5%	12,175	7,441	20,141
1932	R	−11.7%	5,871	7,468	13,692
1928	R	−20.5%	6,238	9,481	15,802
1924	R	−65.6%	1,223	7,837	10,083
1920	R	−51.9%	2,033	6,943	9,456
1916	R	−35.6%	2,048	4,379	6,555
1912	O	−10.2%	1,496	2,074	5,677
1908	R	−41.0%	1,699	4,179	6,048
1904	R	−63.5%	1,100	5,136	6,353
1900	R	−49.2%	1,312	3,917	5,298
1896	R	−46.2%	1,428	3,980	5,524
1892	R	−15.9%	1,905	2,632	4,581
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

9.6%

German

7.0%

Italian

6.7%

English

3.3%

Polish

3.0%

American

2.3%

French

0.7%

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: 35.3 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

0.5%

85+

1.1%

1.7%

75–84

2.6%

3.8%

65–74

5.0%

5.2%

55–64

6.1%

5.1%

45–54

5.6%

6.6%

35–44

7.1%

8.9%

25–34

9.6%

4.8%

18–24

5.1%

7.7%

5–17

7.5%

3.0%

2.9%

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

Median household income

2024 inflation-adjusted dollars

$61,953

State House District 197 ranks near the middle of US counties.

State House District 197$61,953

Pennsylvania$77,971

United States$80,734

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

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

21.4%

Children face higher poverty than working-age adults.

Children under 1829.0%

Working age (18–64)19.1%

Seniors (65+)22.1%

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

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

75.6%

speak English only

Spanish10.9%

Other Indo-European5.7%

Asian & Pacific Islander5.6%

Other languages2.2%

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Catholic & Orthodox

16.2%

Baptist

8.3%

Non-Christian

6.8%

Other Christian

6.7%

Mainline Protestant

2.1%

Pentecostal & Holiness

1.8%

Methodist

1.2%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 56.9% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

With a 2024 presidential margin of D+65.3, this Philadelphia-area district ranks among the most one-sided state house seats in Pennsylvania, reflecting a dense, heavily Democratic urban electorate.

The Democratic margin in Pennsylvania 197th State House District reached its widest at seventy-one points in 2012. The margin in 2024 was fifty-nine points — still decisive.

Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $61,953, a 35% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 35,631 together describe a district whose political habits are deeply settled.

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Cite this page

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

State House District 197, Pennsylvania. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/42197/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did State House District 197, Pennsylvania vote in 2024?

In 2024, State House District 197, Pennsylvania voted Democratic by 58.6 points (D+59), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 16,322 votes cast, 12,825 went Democratic and 3,255 went Republican.

What is State House District 197, Pennsylvania's political archetype?

Akashic classifies State House District 197, 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 23 times, Republican 10 times, and other 1 times.

When did State House District 197, Pennsylvania last vote Republican?

The most recent presidential election in which State House District 197, Pennsylvania voted Republican was 1932.

How many people live in State House District 197, Pennsylvania?

State House District 197, Pennsylvania has a population of 35,631 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 197, Pennsylvania?

Median household income in State House District 197, Pennsylvania is $61,953 — below the national median of $80,734. The Pennsylvania state median is $77,971.

What is the political history of State House District 197, Pennsylvania?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 197, Pennsylvania from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 23 went Democratic and 10 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Democratic loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.

Pennsylvania 197th State House District has voted Democratic in twenty-three straight presidential cycles.

Key facts

Demographics

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Frequently asked questions