Updated May 14, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Blue districts have higher uninsured rates and more poverty

Congressional districts that tend to vote Democratic generally have more people below the poverty level and higher uninsured rates compared to those that tend to vote Republican, including districts in states that have expanded Medicaid.

Notes: The Cook Partisan Voter Index is a measure of how liberal or conservative a district leans based on the two most recent elections. Pennsylvania PVI and vote margins reflect the 2016 district map prior to being redrawn; Data: Census Bureau 2012-16 American Community Survey, Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios
Notes: The Cook Partisan Voter Index is a measure of how liberal or conservative a district leans based on the two most recent elections. Pennsylvania PVI and vote margins reflect the 2016 district map prior to being redrawn; Data: Census Bureau 2012-16 American Community Survey, Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios

Between the lines: There's an obvious connection between poverty levels and the number of uninsured: Health insurance is expensive. The fact that blue districts have higher shares of each than red districts helps explain why Democrats tend to focus more than Republicans on health care and government assistance to the poor — and why these topics will likely resonate with voters in blue districts more throughout the midterm cycle.

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