A Closer Look: A Series on Swing Spots

With Election Day fast approaching, we read everywhere about which places might be key to the outcomes in their states. Some analyses give us a sense of what makes these places stand out, worthy of our attention and the attention of Presidential candidates.  But sometimes we want to know more. We want to see some real data that gives us a better understanding of these communities and the voters who live there.

On Sunday, the New York Times touched on five localities that the presidential candidates have courted (Observations from Handful of Cities that Could Prove to Be Electoral Key). In the next two weeks, we are going to look more closely at these five communities to learn a bit more.

Part 1 – Economic Life: What do they earn and where do they work? (Wed 10/8)

Part 2 – Race and Demographics: Who lives here?  How has that changed in recent years? (Fri 10/10)

Part 3 – Education: How educated are its residents? How do local schools measure up? (Mon 10/14)

Part 4 – Money and Taxes: Who is paying the most in state and local taxes?  Who is making charitable contributions? How has this changed in last couple of years? (Wed 10/15)

Part 5 – Housing Market: What are housing values and how have they changed over time? How leveraged are homeowners? (Fri 10/17)

With these topics as our guide, we’ll share a snapshot of these places. As the election nears, we’ll check back in and see where else we should explore.