state house districtPennsylvania 97th State House District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+40.9
2008R+21.3
2012R+27.8
2016R+24.7
2020R+17.2
2024R+15.5
net swing · 2004→2024D+25.5R+40.9 → R+15.5
vs. U.S. · 2024R+14.0R+15.5 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 78.6% of 50,494 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
16,480
22,624
607
39,711
50,494
78.6%
2020
15,638
22,231
569
38,438
48,850†
78.7%
2016
11,560
19,656
1,599
32,815
47,587†
69.0%
2012
10,616
19,014
568
30,198
46,005†
65.6%
2008
11,833
18,329
319
30,481
43,980†
69.3%
2004
8,825
21,097
66
29,988
41,955†
71.5%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupPA HD 97PennsylvaniaUnited States
German32.9%21.6%12.5%
Irish11.4%14.8%9.4%
English9.8%8.3%9.5%
Italian6.3%10.6%4.8%
American5.7%4.4%5.3%
Polish3.0%5.4%2.2%
French1.6%—1.6%
Scottish1.6%1.1%1.3%
Puerto Rican4.8%3.7%1.8%
Dominican0.9%1.4%0.7%
Mexican0.7%1.4%11.3%
Cuban0.3%0.2%0.7%
Colombian0.3%0.2%0.4%
African American†2.2%8.7%9.9%
African0.3%0.4%0.5%
Ethiopian0.3%——
Haitian0.2%0.2%0.3%
Vietnamese0.6%0.3%0.6%
Asian Indian0.4%1.2%1.4%
Chinese0.4%0.9%1.3%
Filipino0.4%0.2%0.9%
Nepalese0.2%——
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
PA HD 97
Pennsylvania
United States
Median age
42.6
41.2
39.1
Age 18–24
8.8%
8.9%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
19.5%
19.5%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
PA HD 97
Pennsylvania
United States
Median household income
$100,989
$77,971
$84,427
Poverty rate
6.3%
11.7%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
32.4%
35.2%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
PA HD 97
Pennsylvania
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
16.8%
12.4%
22.3%
Spanish
6.8%
5.6%
13.6%
German or other West Germanic
6.1%
0.9%
0.5%
Other Indo-European
1.0%
1.7%
2.0%
Religious landscape
Measure
PA HD 97
Pennsylvania
United States
Catholic
—
21.9%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
9.3%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
53.1%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Pennsylvania 97th State House District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−40.9%
2008
−21.3%
2012
−27.8%
2016
−24.7%
2020
−17.2%
2024
−15.5%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
41.5%Harris16,480
57.0%Trump22,624
1.5%
R+15.5
D+1.7
R+14.0
39,711
R
40.7%Biden15,638
57.8%Trump22,231
1.5%
R+17.2
D+7.5
R+21.6
38,438
R
35.2%Clinton11,560
59.9%Trump19,656
4.9%
R+24.7
D+3.1
R+26.8
32,815
R
35.2%Obama10,616
63.0%Romney19,014
1.9%
R+27.8
R+6.5
R+31.7
30,198
R
38.8%Obama11,833
60.1%McCain18,329
1.0%
R+21.3
D+19.6
R+28.6
30,481
R
29.4%Kerry8,825
70.4%Bush21,097
0.2%
R+40.9
—
R+38.5
29,988
current representation
Current officeholders
RSteve MentzerState House · 97
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+39.9, this district sits well outside Pennsylvania's competitive middle, suggesting a rural or small-town electorate that has shifted decisively over recent cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 40.9 points in 2004. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 1.7 points toward the Democratic candidate; the 2024 margin was 15.5 points.
A population of 65,789, a 83% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $100,989 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State House District 37 and State House District 98.
Akashic
Political twins — state-house districts
The state-house districts 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.
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.
Pennsylvania 97th State House District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/42097/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Pennsylvania 97th State House District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Pennsylvania 97th State House District voted Republican by 15.5 points (R+15.5), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 39,711 votes cast, 16,480 went Democratic and 22,624 went Republican.
How many people live in Pennsylvania 97th State House District?
Pennsylvania 97th State House District has a population of 65,789 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Pennsylvania 97th State House District?
Median household income in Pennsylvania 97th State House District is $100,989 — above the national median of $80,734. The Pennsylvania state median is $77,971.
What is the political history of Pennsylvania 97th State House District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Pennsylvania 97th State House District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 0 went Democratic and 6 went Republican.
