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Obama, McCain see “Monied ‘Burbs” as key

Dante Chinni

Posted: 06.11.2008 / 8:32 AM EDT

Voters living in the “Monied ’Burbs,” make way for John McCain and Barack Obama.

Three of four events Senator McCain is holding between today and this weekend are in the wealthy suburbs classified as “Monied ’Burbs” in Patchwork Nation.Senator Obama’s schedule for Wednesday and Thursday also features two “town hall” meetings in the same type of locales.

Don’t be surprised if that trend continues in the months ahead. Both McCain and Obama have already spent more time in America’s wealthy suburban enclaves than in any of Patchwork Nation’s 10 other community types – and for good reasons.

“Monied ’Burbs” counties tend to be in major metro areas, drawing lots of press coverage. And residents’ wealth in these parts comes in handy for fundraising. 

Most important, these communities are true electoral battlegrounds. In the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, they split their votes almost evenly – going for the Democratic candidate by about 2 percent in 2000 and by less than 1 percent in 2004.

They hold a significant chunk of the nation’s voters – about 84 million people or 30 percent of the US population.  

The wealthiest of all the community types, “Monied ’Burbs” have a median household income above $55,000. On average, fewer than 5 percent of families live in poverty. Fewer African-Americans and Hispanics reside here than in the average US county. 

Of the 11 community types, “Monied ’Burbs” have the most well-educated residents. About 86 percent are high school graduates and 27 percent have college degrees.  

In terms of religious faith they have, on average, more Catholic and Jewish voters than the average US county and fewer Evangelical adherents.

For McCain and Obama, these affluent areas hold geographic significance, too. 

More than 50 percent of the “Monied ’Burbs” population is found in the industrial and agricultural Midwest, the border South, and the Mid-Atlantic. In other words, they are not only battleground communities, they tend to be heavily located in traditional battleground states.

So despite all the attention given to Appalachia (an enormous and diverse region as this site has noted) and “working-class white” voters, in the end, they may not be the crucial components of this election.

The candidates’ travel patterns and the voting patterns suggest the more upscale and more scattered “Monied ’Burbs” will decide the 2008 race – or at least provide its most competitive terrain.