state senate districtPennsylvania 49th State Senate District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004D+9.0
2008D+20.5
2012D+16.7
2016R+0.4
2020D+2.4
2024D+0.4
net swing · 2004→2024R+8.6D+9.0 → D+0.4
vs. U.S. · 2024D+1.9D+0.4 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 65.9% of 201,923 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
66,212
65,686
1,230
133,128
201,923
65.9%
2020
67,073
63,886
1,854
132,813
202,367†
65.6%
2016
57,073
57,543
5,303
119,919
205,577†
58.3%
2012
66,420
47,095
1,991
115,506
205,088†
56.3%
2008
73,848
48,418
1,767
124,033
204,350†
60.7%
2004
66,184
55,184
603
121,971
203,611†
59.9%
† 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 SD 49PennsylvaniaUnited States
German22.4%21.6%12.5%
Irish13.2%14.8%9.4%
Italian10.6%10.6%4.8%
Polish10.1%5.4%2.2%
English8.5%8.3%9.5%
American3.9%4.4%5.3%
Swedish1.9%——
Scottish1.6%1.1%1.3%
African American†6.5%8.7%9.9%
African1.0%0.4%0.5%
Puerto Rican2.7%3.7%1.8%
Mexican0.8%1.4%11.3%
Cuban0.2%0.2%0.7%
Asian Indian0.7%1.2%1.4%
Filipino0.3%0.2%0.9%
Vietnamese0.3%0.3%0.6%
Nepalese0.3%——
Chinese0.2%0.9%1.3%
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 SD 49
Pennsylvania
United States
Median age
40.2
41.2
39.1
Age 18–24
10.0%
8.9%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
19.8%
19.5%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
PA SD 49
Pennsylvania
United States
Median household income
$63,777
$77,971
$84,427
Poverty rate
14.7%
11.7%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
30.3%
35.2%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
PA SD 49
Pennsylvania
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
6.9%
12.4%
22.3%
Spanish
2.0%
5.6%
13.6%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic
1.2%
0.8%
0.7%
Other Indo-European
1.2%
1.7%
2.0%
Religious landscape
Measure
PA SD 49
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 49th State Senate District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
+9.0%
2008
+20.5%
2012
+16.7%
2016
−0.4%
2020
+2.4%
2024
+0.4%
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
D
49.7%Harris66,212
49.3%Trump65,686
0.9%
D+0.4
R+2.0
D+1.9
133,128
D
50.5%Biden67,073
48.1%Trump63,886
1.4%
D+2.4
D+2.8
R+2.1
132,813
R
47.6%Clinton57,073
48.0%Trump57,543
4.4%
R+0.4
R+17.1
R+2.5
119,919
D
57.5%Obama66,420
40.8%Romney47,095
1.7%
D+16.7
R+3.8
D+12.9
115,506
D
59.5%Obama73,848
39.0%McCain48,418
1.4%
D+20.5
D+11.5
D+13.2
124,033
D
54.3%Kerry66,184
45.2%Bush55,184
0.5%
D+9.0
—
D+11.5
121,971
current representation
Current officeholders
RDan LaughlinState Senate · 49
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of just R+1.0 across roughly 262,000 residents, this district sits at the competitive edge where statewide outcomes are often shaped, drawing sustained attention from both parties.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 20.5 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 0.4 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 2.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 0.4 points.
A population of 261,645, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $63,777 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 4 and State Senate District 11.
Akashic
Political twins — state-senate districts
The state-senate 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 49th State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/42049/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District voted a near-tie (D+0.4), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 133,128 votes cast, 66,212 went Democratic and 65,686 went Republican.
When did Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District voted Republican was 2016.
How many people live in Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District?
Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District has a population of 261,645 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District?
Median household income in Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District is $63,777 — below the national median of $80,734. The Pennsylvania state median is $77,971.
What is the political history of Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Pennsylvania 49th State Senate District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 1 went Republican.
