Columbus, Ohio
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2004 | +25.0% |
| 2008 | +35.4% |
| 2012 | +37.9% |
| 2016 | +39.0% |
| 2020 | +43.2% |
| 2024 | +38.1% |
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Swing | vs U.S. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 68.0%Harris250,280 | 29.8%Trump109,876 | 2.2% | D+38.1 | R+5.1 | D+39.6 | 368,190 | |
| D | 70.8%Biden278,396 | 27.6%Trump108,502 | 1.6% | D+43.2 | D+4.2 | D+38.7 | 393,345 | |
| D | 67.1%Clinton246,328 | 28.1%Trump103,164 | 4.7% | D+39.0 | D+1.2 | D+36.9 | 366,867 | |
| D | 67.9%Obama245,396 | 30.0%Romney108,519 | 2.1% | D+37.9 | D+2.4 | D+34.0 | 361,456 | |
| D | 67.0%Obama237,615 | 31.6%McCain112,071 | 1.3% | D+35.4 | D+10.4 | D+28.1 | 354,447 | |
| D | 62.2%Kerry202,980 | 37.2%Bush121,378 | 0.6% | D+25.0 | — | D+27.5 | 326,466 |
Columbus has shifted measurably more Democratic over the past two decades as university expansion and tech-sector migration drove a younger, more diverse electorate, making Franklin County an increasingly decisive counterweight to the state's rural vote.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 43.2 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 5.1 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 38.1 points.
A population of 914,802, a 52% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $66,082 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Kansas City and Charlotte.
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
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.
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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 →
Columbus, Ohio. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/3918000/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.