HarrisDemocratic56.3%28,773TrumpRepublican41.7%21,317OtherAll other candidates2.0%998
D+14.6- Lead
- 7,456
- Total
- 51,088
- vs nation
- D+16.1
Akashiccity
Topeka, KS
Contests in this Place (9 available)
President6 · 2004–2024 · 4 mapped
▦ precinct · ▥ counties · ▢ no spatial detail
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the city’s overall result across 2004–2024, on current city boundaries.
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic57.2%31,326TrumpRepublican40.2%21,979OtherAll other candidates2.6%1,437
D+17.1- Lead
- 9,347
- Total
- 54,742
- vs nation
- D+12.6
ClintonDemocratic50.0%24,750TrumpRepublican40.3%19,906OtherAll other candidates9.7%4,798
D+9.8- Lead
- 4,844
- Total
- 49,454
- vs nation
- D+7.7
ObamaDemocratic54.3%27,069RomneyRepublican43.4%21,655OtherAll other candidates2.3%1,124
D+10.9- Lead
- 5,414
- Total
- 49,848
- vs nation
- D+7.0
ObamaDemocratic54.1%30,387McCainRepublican43.9%24,646OtherAll other candidates2.0%1,120
D+10.2- Lead
- 5,741
- Total
- 56,153
- vs nation
- D+3.0
KerryDemocratic49.6%26,715BushRepublican48.7%26,264OtherAll other candidates1.7%906
D+0.8- Lead
- 451
- Total
- 53,885
- vs nation
- D+3.3
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+14.6MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 125,7862024 5-year
- Population density
- 2,049 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 61.4 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $56,9562024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 65.6%2024 5-year
- Black
- 9.3%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 16.9%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+17.1 in 2020MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Spokane, WA · twin score 94.1
Turnout and midterm durability
Participation measured against the same-year citizen voting-age population. Audited cycles count total general-election participants — ballots or participating voters, not presidential candidate votes. Cycles before 2016 predate that series and are derived from the certified presidential returns instead; they are marked everywhere they appear and are excluded from the figures below.
2004–20248 cycles · 5 audited
- 2024 turnout
- 55.2%51,620 participants ÷ 93,493 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +13.1 ptsVolatile
- Drop-off vs state
- -5.8 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026
- 42.1%–46.2%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
Participation by cycle
Presidential Midterm Derived, pre-2016
Select a presidential cycle to show it on the map and results ledger above.
| Cycle | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Series | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51,620 | 93,493 ± 1,038 | 55.2% | Audited | E/A | |
| 2022Mid | 43,261 | 93,956 ± 976 | 46.0% | Audited | E/A |
| 55,235 | 93,444 ± 820 | 59.1% | Audited | E/A | |
| 2018Mid | 45,859 | 93,392 ± 821 | 49.1% | Audited | E/A |
| 50,255 | 92,967 ± 812 | 54.1% | Audited | E/A | |
| 49,848 | 91,984 | 54.2% | Derived | — | |
| 56,153 | 89,708 | 62.6% | Derived | — | |
| 53,885 | 87,432 extrapolated | 61.6% | Derived | — |
Sources and methods
Audited cycles (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) count total general-election participants against the same-year CVAP special tabulation, each cell carrying its own numerator and denominator quality grade. Derived cycles (2004, 2008, 2012) come from the certified presidential returns on this page over the ACS 5-year CVAP series, so they measure presidential votes cast rather than ballots — a floor on participation. Where a derived cycle predates the ACS its denominator is extrapolated rather than read, and says so on its own line below. They are shown for the longer arc and are excluded from the drop-off, excess-drop-off, and 2026 scenario figures above.
- 2024: numerator source 160, denominator source 157; estimated total ballots; preferred-county:block-reference-presidential-or-cvap-weight:v2; allocation share 100.0%; series 323/229.
- 2022: numerator source 160, denominator source 157; estimated total ballots; preferred-county:block-reference-presidential-or-cvap-weight:v2; allocation share 100.0%; series 322/184.
- 2020: numerator source 160, denominator source 157; estimated total ballots; preferred-county:block-reference-presidential-or-cvap-weight:v2; allocation share 100.0%; series 321/4.
- 2018: numerator source 160, denominator source 157; estimated total ballots; preferred-county:block-reference-presidential-or-cvap-weight:v2; allocation share 100.0%; series 320/139.
- 2016: numerator source 160, denominator source 157; estimated total ballots; preferred-county:block-reference-presidential-or-cvap-weight:v2; allocation share 100.0%; series 319/133.
- 2012 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2008 (derived): Certified presidential returns · ACS 5-year CVAP (B05003); presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count.
- 2004 (derived): Certified presidential returns · extrapolated CVAP denominator; presidential votes cast — a floor on participation, not a ballot count; 2004 predates the ACS, so the denominator is a linear back-extrapolation from the 2008 and 2012 CVAP values, not a read figure.
presidential history
Party record book
Topeka, KS · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
2004–2024 · 6 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
57.2%
31,326 votes · D+17.1
Runner-up · Kamala Harris, 2024 · 56.3%
Republican
George W. Bush2004
48.7%
26,264 votes · D+0.8
Runner-up · John McCain, 2008 · 43.9%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
31,326votes
57.2% of the vote · D+17.1
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 30,387 votes
Republican
George W. Bush2004
26,264votes
48.7% of the vote · D+0.8
Runner-up · John McCain, 2008 · 24,646 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Kamala Harris2024
+16.1pts D vs U.S.
Place D+14.6 · U.S. R+1.5
Runner-up · Joe Biden, 2020 · +12.6 pts
Republican
John McCain2008
−3.0pts R vs U.S.
Place D+10.2 · U.S. D+7.3
Runner-up · George W. Bush, 2004 · −3.3 pts
U.S. House elections · 2 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 57.4%27,034 | 42.6%20,067 | 47,101 |
| 2020 | D | 59.6%31,453 | 40.4%21,309 | 52,762 |
Topeka's electorate blends state-government workers, a significant Latino community, and older working-class neighborhoods, producing competitive margins in county-level races even as the surrounding region trends reliably Republican.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 17.1 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 2.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 14.6 points.
A population of 125,786, a 66% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $56,956 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Spokane and Vancouver.
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Spokane
Washington
94.1twin score
population scale2020–2024 trajectory12-yr trend
Vancouver
Washington
92.0twin score
population scale2012–2024 trajectory
Salem
Oregon
91.6twin score
population scale2016–2024 trajectory
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Browse places by community — income, education, race & ethnicity, language — all community cuts →
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.
Topeka, Kansas. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/2071000/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Kansas at the ballot boxAll elections →
Frequently asked questions
How did Topeka, Kansas vote in 2024?
In 2024, Topeka, Kansas voted Democratic by 14.6 points (D+14.6), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 51,088 votes cast, 28,773 went Democratic and 21,317 went Republican.
How many people live in Topeka, Kansas?
Topeka, Kansas has a population of 125,786 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Topeka, Kansas?
Median household income in Topeka, Kansas is $56,956 — below the national median of $80,734. The Kansas state median is $74,275.
What is the political history of Topeka, Kansas?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Topeka, Kansas from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 0 went Republican.