Virginia 97th State House District, Virginia: Bellwether district. In 2024, voted D+3%. Democratic peak: D+78 in 1916.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+3MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- BellwetherAkashic typology
- Population
- 29,2602024 5-year
- Median household income
- $92,9682024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 60.8%2024 5-year
- Black
- 18.8%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 9.1%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+78 in 1916MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+56 in 1972MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for State House District 97, VAOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 7,400 | 7,013 | 14,668 | ||
| D | 7,527 | 6,738 | 14,591 | ||
| R | 5,837 | 6,298 | 13,017 | ||
| R | 6,046 | 6,366 | 12,608 | ||
| R | 6,340 | 6,432 | 12,903 | ||
| R | 4,531 | 6,652 | 11,265 | ||
| R | 3,992 | 5,365 | 9,603 | ||
| R | 3,343 | 4,087 | 8,075 | ||
| R | 2,840 | 4,420 | 8,834 | ||
| R | 2,166 | 4,904 | 7,118 | ||
| R | 1,584 | 4,653 | 6,257 | ||
| R | 1,596 | 3,074 | 5,080 | ||
| R | 1,656 | 2,218 | 4,073 | ||
| R | 665 | 2,441 | 3,189 | ||
| R | 648 | 1,046 | 2,420 | ||
| D | 827 | 675 | 1,503 | ||
| D | 465 | 374 | 844 | ||
| R | 350 | 387 | 756 | ||
| R | 251 | 288 | 540 | ||
| D | 129 | 85 | 238 | ||
| D | 126 | 64 | 189 | ||
| D | 108 | 29 | 137 | ||
| D | 123 | 28 | 152 | ||
| D | 93 | 28 | 122 | ||
| R | 54 | 67 | 121 | ||
| D | 44 | 9 | 55 | ||
| D | 39 | 7 | 46 | ||
| D | 33 | 4 | 37 | ||
| D | 27 | 3 | 34 | ||
| D | 26 | 6 | 32 | ||
| D | 27 | 7 | 34 | ||
| D | 48 | 21 | 69 | ||
| D | 51 | 44 | 95 | ||
| D | 40 | 26 | 70 | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
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Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
English
11.6%
German
10.9%
Irish
10.7%
American
7.4%
Italian
5.6%
Scottish
2.3%
Polish
2.2%
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: 37.9 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$92,968
State House District 97 ranks near the middle of US counties.
State House District 97$92,968
Virginia$93,170
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
8.6%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 1811.4%
Working age (18–64)7.8%
Seniors (65+)7.9%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
87.8%
speak English only
Asian & Pacific Islander4.9%
Spanish4.3%
Other Indo-European2.5%
Other languages0.5%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 62.1% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+25.7, this southwestern Virginia district sits well outside the competitive range, reflecting the region's rural, working-class demographic profile that has shifted decisively toward Republican candidates over the past two decades.
The Democratic margin in Virginia 97th State House District has rarely exceeded seventy-eight points in modern history; the Republican margin has rarely exceeded fifty-six points. 2024 delivered the district to the Democratic candidate by three points.
Its demographics resemble the country more than they resemble most districts. A 61% non-Hispanic-white share, a 9% poverty rate, and a median household income of $92,968 — all within the broad national range.
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 97, Virginia. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/51097/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did State House District 97, Virginia vote in 2024?
In 2024, State House District 97, Virginia voted Democratic by 2.6 points (D+3), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 14,668 votes cast, 7,400 went Democratic and 7,013 went Republican.
What is State House District 97, Virginia's political archetype?
Akashic classifies State House District 97, Virginia as a "Bellwether" district based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 18 times, Republican 16 times, and other 0 times.
When did State House District 97, Virginia last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which State House District 97, Virginia voted Republican was 2016.
How many people live in State House District 97, Virginia?
State House District 97, Virginia has a population of 29,260 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 97, Virginia?
Median household income in State House District 97, Virginia is $92,968 — above the national median of $80,734. The Virginia state median is $93,170.
What is the political history of State House District 97, Virginia?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 97, Virginia from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 18 went Democratic and 16 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Bellwether" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.