College degrees and the county vote
The education divide holds across 3,000 counties, though less tightly than across states.
Counties with higher Bachelor’s Degree or Higher tend to have lower Republican Vote Share.
Strong link: a correlation of −0.56 across 3,068 counties.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
States average over very different places. County by county, the same education divide appears, but rural and urban differences, regional history and local economies add a lot of scatter.
Each dot in the chart is one of 3,068 counties. The correlation between Bachelor’s Degree or Higher and Republican Vote Share is -0.56, a strong relationship: about 32% of the differences in Republican Vote Share from place to place line up with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher. Ranked instead of measured, the link is -0.47.
The highest Republican Vote Share is in Roberts County, TX (96.0%), Grant County, NE (95.9%) and Borden County, TX (95.6%); the lowest is in District of Columbia, DC (5.08%), Prince George's County, MD (11.2%) and Baltimore city, MD (12.2%). The median place has 70.0% for Republican Vote Share and 22.2% for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Borden County, TX, Hansford County, TX and Cimarron County, OK have a much higher Republican Vote Share than their Bachelor’s Degree or Higher would predict, while Oglala Lakota County, SD, Jefferson County, MS and Holmes County, MS have a much lower one.
Split by the presidential result, the 2,613 counties where the Republican candidate won average 22.8% for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher and the 455 counties where the Democratic candidate won average 36.2% for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Bachelor’s Degree or Higher is from 2024 and Republican Vote Share from 2024.
Highest Republican Vote Share
| Place | Republican Vote Share | Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Roberts County, TX | 96.0% | 20.5% |
| Grant County, NE | 95.9% | 28.6% |
| Borden County, TX | 95.6% | 36.9% |
| Hayes County, NE | 95.5% | 19.8% |
| Garfield County, MT | 94.5% | 21.0% |
Lowest Republican Vote Share
| Place | Republican Vote Share | Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia, DC | 5.08% | 64.2% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 11.2% | 36.7% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 12.2% | 36.1% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 13.0% | 25.4% |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 13.3% | 11.8% |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
- Full ranking and sources for Republican Vote Share