Pennsylvania Election Results: Swing State Where 71% Are Homeowners Votes Red

Pennsylvania’s election results are in, with the swing state voting for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to projections from the Associated Press decision team.

The battleground state’s 19 Electoral College votes will go toward the Republican candidate in a closely contested race where housing policies were among the key issues debated by the campaigns.

On the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, Trump had tied rising housing costs to illegal immigration, casting blame on the border policies of the Biden administration.

“The housing market is destroyed. Crime is rampant. The jobs are taken by migrants illegally imported to our countries. Your school classes, you can’t get in,” he said at a September rally in Indiana, PA.

In September, Vice President Kamala Harris held a campaign event in Pittsburgh, where she touted her plans to spur more home construction and assist first-time homebuyers.

“We will work with builders and developers to construct 3 million new homes and rentals for the middle class because increasing the housing supply will help drive down the cost of housing,” she said. “We will also help first-time homebuyers just get their foot in the door with the $25,000 down payment assistance. Because the goal is clear, let’s help more Americans afford to buy a home, which we know is a critical step in their ability to grow their wealth and intergenerational wealth.”

For the latest election results, check the Wall Street Journal’s live election tracker.

Key stats on Pennsylvania’s housing market

The homeownership rate in Pennsylvania was 71% as of last year, above the national average of 66%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

In the first nine months of 2024, the median listing price for homes in Pennsylvania averaged $308,959, a 42% increase from the same period in 2019, according to Realtor.com® listing data. That compares with a national median listing price of $428,860 for 2024 through September, up 38% from five years ago.

On a square-foot basis, homes in the Keystone State were typically listed for $186 in 2024, up 54% from 2019. Nationally, the median list price per square foot rose 52% in the same period, to $228.

The average Pennsylvania homeowner gained $22,000 in equity in the 12 months through June 2024, less than the national average of $25,000, according to CoreLogic.

Among renters in Pennsylvania, 44% are considered rent-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent. That compares with 50% of renters nationally who are considered rent-burdened.