{"id":47253,"date":"2020-12-08T14:58:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T19:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2020\/12\/08\/the-changing-geography-of-covid-19-in-the-u-s\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T16:16:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T20:16:23","slug":"the-changing-geography-of-covid-19-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2020\/12\/08\/the-changing-geography-of-covid-19-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"The Changing Geography of COVID-19 in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide on-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-05ac5a3b wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links has-small-icon-size has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-3e41869c wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li data-wp-context=\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/?p=47253&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;The Changing Geography of COVID-19 in the U.S.&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;In the nearly nine months since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a national emergency, almost every part of the country has been directly affected by the loss of life resulting from the virus.&quot;,&quot;platform&quot;:&quot;facebook&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/social-links\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a\" class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook has-text-color-color 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nearly nine months since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a national emergency, almost every part of the country has been directly affected by the loss of life resulting from the virus.&quot;,&quot;platform&quot;:&quot;linkedin&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/social-links\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a\" class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-linkedin has-text-color-color wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M19.7,3H4.3C3.582,3,3,3.582,3,4.3v15.4C3,20.418,3.582,21,4.3,21h15.4c0.718,0,1.3-0.582,1.3-1.3V4.3 C21,3.582,20.418,3,19.7,3z M8.339,18.338H5.667v-8.59h2.672V18.338z M7.004,8.574c-0.857,0-1.549-0.694-1.549-1.548 c0-0.855,0.691-1.548,1.549-1.548c0.854,0,1.547,0.694,1.547,1.548C8.551,7.881,7.858,8.574,7.004,8.574z M18.339,18.338h-2.669 v-4.177c0-0.996-0.017-2.278-1.387-2.278c-1.389,0-1.601,1.086-1.601,2.206v4.249h-2.667v-8.59h2.559v1.174h0.037 c0.356-0.675,1.227-1.387,2.526-1.387c2.703,0,3.203,1.779,3.203,4.092V18.338z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-style-essay\" style=\"min-height:640px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-20076634\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/PP_20.12.03_COVIDGeo_testing-1.jpg\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 50%\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-40 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color\" id=\"the-changing-geography-of-covid-19-in-the-u-s\" style=\"font-size:clamp(27.894px, 1.743rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 2.285), 48px);line-height:1.1\">The Changing Geography of <br>COVID-19 in the U.S.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-bylines-display is-layout-flex wp-container-prc-block-bylines-display-is-layout-7b1574cb wp-block-prc-block-bylines-display-is-layout-flex\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-bylines-display__bylines\"><span class=\"wp-block-prc-block-bylines-display__prefix\">By<\/span> <a rel=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/staff\/bradley-jones\/\" aria-label=\"View author archive for Bradley Jones\">Bradley Jones<\/a> <span class=\"prc-platform-staff-bylines__and-separator\">and<\/span> <a rel=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/staff\/jocelyn-kiley\/\" aria-label=\"View author archive for Jocelyn Kiley\">Jocelyn Kiley<\/a><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date has-small-label-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2020-12-08T14:58:29-05:00\">December 8, 2020<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the spring, when the toll from COVID-19 passed the grim milestone of 100,000 American deaths, its geographic reach had been largely concentrated. <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2020\/05\/26\/coronavirus-death-toll-is-heavily-concentrated-in-democratic-congressional-districts\/\">Most deaths had occurred in a small number of metropolitan areas around the U.S.<\/a>, especially the New York City area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, with the death toll from <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/topics\/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19\/\">COVID-19<\/a> approaching 300,000, and the number of deaths occurring each day matching or exceeding the peaks seen in the spring, the pandemic has become truly national in scope. In the nearly nine months since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a national emergency, almost every part of the country has been directly affected by the loss of life resulting from the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new Pew Research Center analysis of official reports of COVID-19 deaths across the nation\u2019s 435 congressional districts plus the District of Columbia, based on mortality data collected by the <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.jhu.edu\/map.html\">Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering<\/a>, shows how the geography of the coronavirus has changed as the coronavirus spread across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible js-react-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand how the geography of the coronavirus outbreak has changed over its course. For this analysis, we relied on official reports of deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This analysis required congressional-district-level estimates of the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19. To generate these estimates, researchers used the available county-level figures (collected and reported by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/CSSEGISandData\/COVID-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Center for Systems Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University<\/a>). However, many counties are divided across two or more congressional districts. In cases where a county is divided across multiple congressional districts, the deaths in that county were proportionally assigned to the congressional districts the county falls into based on the share of its population that falls into each district (using the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/mcdc.missouri.edu\/applications\/geocorr2018.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geocorr tool from the Missouri Census Data Center<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We focus on deaths at the congressional district level for several reasons. First, the political relevance of congressional districts provides insight into the political dynamics of the pandemic. Second, congressional districts are of roughly equal size clarifying the actual impact to people rather than landmass that gets obscured in some county-level maps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The estimates provided in this report are subject to several sources of error. In addition to the mismatch between county geography and congressional districts, there may be significant differences between the true number of deaths due to COVID-19 and the official reported counts of those deaths. There may also be variation across the states in the quality and types of data reported. For example, most states report deaths based on the residency of the deceased person rather than the location they died; JHU collects data from many different local health agencies, and this likely leads to some additional measurement error.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the early months of the pandemic, cases and deaths were heavily concentrated in the metropolitan areas of New York, New Orleans, Boston and Detroit, with other major cities and surrounding areas also experiencing higher death rates than less densely populated parts of the country. Overall, urban areas were initially hit much harder than suburban and rural areas, and more racially and ethnically diverse areas were hit harder than less racially and ethnic diverse areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both of these characteristics are strongly associated with the partisan and ideological lean of an area, and so the congressional districts experiencing the brunt of cases and deaths in those early months were far more likely to be represented by Democrats than by Republicans. But as the virus has afflicted more and more communities across the United States over time, reaching into more rural and exurban areas, that has shifted. In recent months \u2013 since deaths from COVID-19 began surging again in the fall \u2013 the average death toll in Republican districts is higher than in Democratic districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-timeline-of-the-shifting-geography-of-the-pandemic\">A timeline of the shifting geography of the pandemic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ui-gray-dark-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-faef52e591e24493f92e74c718a5d9b1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\"><em>Coronavirus deaths by congressional district<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"--tick-height: 8px;--tick-label-angle: 0deg;--tick-width: 2px\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline has-small-font-size\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-tick-density=\"sparse\" data-show-all-ticks=\"false\" data-manual-control=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;timeline-1&quot;,&quot;activeTickId&quot;:&quot;fa3e5edac607a88d8fd7ecb9d6d67424&quot;,&quot;ticks&quot;:[{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;March&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:0,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;fa3e5edac607a88d8fd7ecb9d6d67424&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:0,&quot;visible&quot;:true},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;April&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:1,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;3fcf026bbfffb63fb24b8de9d0446949&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:12.5,&quot;visible&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;May&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:2,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;195fbb57ffe7449796d23466085ce6d8&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:25,&quot;visible&quot;:true},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;June&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:3,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;688937ccaf2a2b0c45a1c9bbba09698d&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:37.5,&quot;visible&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;July&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:4,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1b539f6f34e8503c97f6d3421346b63c&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:50,&quot;visible&quot;:true},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;August&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:5,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;41ba70891fb6f39327d8ccb9b1dafb84&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:62.5,&quot;visible&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;September&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:6,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;cc5d90569e1c8313c2b1c2aab1401174&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:75,&quot;visible&quot;:true},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;October&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:7,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;eca60ae8611369fe28a02e2ab8c5d12e&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:87.5,&quot;visible&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;November&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:8,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;7e823b37564da492ca1629b4732289a8&quot;,&quot;isActive&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:100,&quot;visible&quot;:true}],&quot;isPlaying&quot;:false,&quot;interval&quot;:3000}\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.onInit\"><div class=\"tick-slider\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Timeline Navigation\"><ul class=\"ticks\" role=\"tablist\"><template data-wp-each--tick=\"context.ticks\"><li class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\"><\/span><\/li><\/template><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"fa3e5edac607a88d8fd7ecb9d6d67424\" data-visible=\"true\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">March<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"3fcf026bbfffb63fb24b8de9d0446949\" data-visible=\"false\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">April<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"195fbb57ffe7449796d23466085ce6d8\" data-visible=\"true\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">May<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"688937ccaf2a2b0c45a1c9bbba09698d\" data-visible=\"false\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">June<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"1b539f6f34e8503c97f6d3421346b63c\" data-visible=\"true\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">July<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"41ba70891fb6f39327d8ccb9b1dafb84\" data-visible=\"false\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">August<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"cc5d90569e1c8313c2b1c2aab1401174\" data-visible=\"true\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">September<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"eca60ae8611369fe28a02e2ab8c5d12e\" data-visible=\"false\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">October<\/span><\/li><li data-wp-each-child=\"prc-block\/timeline::context.ticks\" data-tick-id=\"7e823b37564da492ca1629b4732289a8\" data-visible=\"true\" class=\"tick\" role=\"tab\" data-wp-bind--data-tick-id=\"context.tick.id\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.activateTick\" data-wp-bind--style=\"callbacks.getTickPosition\" data-wp-bind--data-visible=\"context.tick.visible\" data-wp-class--is-hidden=\"callbacks.isTickHidden\"><span data-wp-text=\"context.tick.label\">November<\/span><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"timeline-controls\"><label for=\"timeline-1\" class=\"screen-reader-text\">Timeline Position<\/label><input type=\"range\" id=\"timeline-1\" min=\"0\" max=\"8\" value=\"0\"\/><button class=\"play-pause-button\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.togglePlay\" data-wp-bind--aria-label=\"callbacks.autoPlayButtonText\" data-wp-class--is-playing=\"context.isPlaying\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__solid icon__play\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/solid.svg#play\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><i class=\"icon icon-library__solid icon__pause\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/solid.svg#pause\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;fa3e5edac607a88d8fd7ecb9d6d67424&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195952 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_march-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;3fcf026bbfffb63fb24b8de9d0446949&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195960 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_april-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;195fbb57ffe7449796d23466085ce6d8&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195959 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_may-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;688937ccaf2a2b0c45a1c9bbba09698d&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195958 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_june-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1b539f6f34e8503c97f6d3421346b63c&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195957 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_july-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;41ba70891fb6f39327d8ccb9b1dafb84&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195956 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_august-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;cc5d90569e1c8313c2b1c2aab1401174&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195955 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_september-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;eca60ae8611369fe28a02e2ab8c5d12e&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195954 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_october-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-prc-block-timeline-slide\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-block\/timeline\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;7e823b37564da492ca1629b4732289a8&quot;}\" data-wp-class--is-active=\"callbacks.isTimelineSlideActive\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" decoding=\"sync\" height=\"640\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195953 no-lazy-load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=405,405 405w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=260,260 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=310,310 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=420,420 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=640,640 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=740,740 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=75,75 75w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=140,140 140w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=160,160 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/cartogram_november-1.png?resize=320,320 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ui-gray-dark-color has-text-color has-link-color has-sans-serif-font-family wp-elements-bfe24f4222279705bc60054422a90df5 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-size:14px\">Source: Pew Research Center analysis of COVID-19 Data Repository from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering as of Dec 3, 2020. See methodology for details.<br>\u201cThe Changing Geography of COVID-19 in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:500\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In March and April, during the first spike in deaths, the heaviest cost of the pandemic was borne by just a few places. During this period, several congressional districts in New York City and the surrounding areas were averaging more than 50 new deaths every day, and on some days more than 150 people in these districts lost their lives to the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nationally, new deaths fell substantially in May and June before rising again beginning in July. By this point, new deaths in the Northeastern districts that had been hit hardest in the prior months had fallen dramatically, while deaths were rising in the South and Southwest: Texas, Florida and Arizona registered record numbers of new deaths during the summer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While U.S. deaths in this period did not rise as high as the peaks during April and May, the geographic reach spread substantially during this phase. Where before the most substantial toll in lives lost was concentrated in a few heavily urbanized places, the summer months saw new deaths increase in suburban and rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New deaths fell somewhat again at the close of the summer, but once again rose nationwide in October. Again, this marked a geographic shift in the places suffering the largest numbers of new deaths. In recent weeks, the regions seeing the largest numbers of new deaths have been more likely to be in the Midwest and Mountain states. Montana, for example, averaged less than one death per day prior to October (179 total deaths in the first seven months of the pandemic), but 501 Montanans died of COVID-19 in October and November \u2013 a nearly tenfold increase in the average daily death rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-20076622\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/PP_20.12.03_COVIDGeo_data-1.jpg\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 50%\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-20 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"\"><\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;less-densely-populated-areas-are-now-hardest-hit&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"less-densely-populated-areas-are-now-hardest-hit\">Less densely populated areas are now hardest hit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the geography of new deaths has shifted over the course of the pandemic, the types of communities affected have also changed substantially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized is-style-default\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ede9df\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?w=840\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-59344 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ede9df; width:420px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=255,300 255w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=768,903 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=344,405 344w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=200,235 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=260,306 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=310,365 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=420,494 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=640,753 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=740,870 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=160,188 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-01-1.png?resize=320,376 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early in the course of the pandemic, the health impacts were felt most severely in dense urban centers. From March to May, congressional districts in the most urbanized parts of the country were experiencing about five times as many deaths on average compared with those in the least dense parts of the country, and in some places this disparity was much larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, by the summertime the urban-rural split had largely disappeared, and over the last several months, those districts with small shares of residents in densely populated places have been experiencing twice as many deaths as those in the parts of the country where all or nearly all residents live in urban neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The urban and dense suburban areas that experienced higher death rates in the early days of the pandemic also had larger shares of non-White residents than areas that were less hard hit in the spring: The most racially and ethnically diverse congressional districts (those with fewer than 40% White residents) had about 3.5 times as many deaths on average as the districts that are less racially and ethnically diverse (those with more than 80% White residents) between March and May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in recent months, paralleling the rising death rates in more exurban and rural areas, the loss of life to COVID-19 has been roughly the same in less racially and ethnically diverse districts as it has in more racially and ethnically diverse districts. (Note: While comprehensive nationwide data on the racial and ethnic backgrounds of those who have died from COVID-19 is not available, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/health-shots\/2020\/09\/23\/914427907\/as-pandemic-deaths-add-up-racial-disparities-persist-and-in-some-cases-worsen\">available data has found that<\/a> in the U.S., Black people, Hispanic people and Native Americans have died at higher rates than White people.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-20076639\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/PP_20.12.03_COVIDGeo_mourner-1.jpg?w=640\" style=\"object-position:70% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"70% 50%\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-30 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"\"><\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;since-the-beginning-of-the-pandemic-democratic-areas-have-experienced-more-covid-19-deaths-in-recent-months-gop-areas-have-been-hit-harder&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"since-the-beginning-of-the-pandemic-democratic-areas-have-experienced-more-covid-19-deaths-in-recent-months-gop-areas-have-been-hit-harder\">Since the beginning of the pandemic, Democratic areas have experienced more COVID-19 deaths; in recent months, GOP areas have been hit harder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ede9dd\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"938\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?w=840\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-59347 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ede9dd; width:420px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=269,300 269w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=768,858 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=363,405 363w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=200,223 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=260,290 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=310,346 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=420,469 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=640,715 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=740,826 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=160,179 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-02.png?resize=320,357 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A similar pattern to those seen with the urban-rural and racial composition of each district emerges in the relationship between the partisan leanings of a district and deaths attributable to the coronavirus. In the early stages of the pandemic, the hardest hit districts were overwhelmingly \u201cblue\u201d parts of the country. COVID-19 deaths in the March through May period were more than four times as high in strongly Democratic districts (where Republican congressional candidates received less than 25% of the vote in the 2018 midterm elections) as in districts where Republican candidates won more than 60% of the 2018 vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But from September through November, the death rate has been roughly twice as high in Republican strongholds than in places where the GOP lost the 2018 vote by wide margins. <em>(Note: 2018 vote share is used for this analysis, since district-level data is not yet complete for the 2020 election.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats and Republicans in Congress represent dramatically different constituencies, and these differences track with the changing impact of the coronavirus outbreak over the past nine months. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to represent urban and diverse constituencies \u2013 the places hardest hit early in the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are more likely than Democrats to represent rural areas and districts with higher shares of White residents \u2013 the same places that have seen cases and deaths grow in the past three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f2f1f1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1278\" height=\"1022\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png\" alt=\"Shifting pattern of deaths from COVID-19 in Democratic, Republican congressional districts\" class=\"wp-image-59508 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f2f1f1; width:640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png 1278w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=300,240 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=768,614 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=1024,819 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=506,405 506w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=200,160 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=260,208 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=310,248 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=420,336 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=640,512 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=740,592 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=160,128 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_covid-geography_DE-03b.png?resize=320,256 320w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Democratic districts remains higher overall, new deaths have been higher on average in Republican-controlled districts since the end of July. New deaths in Republican controlled districts began increasing in mid-October while they were still falling somewhat overall in Democratically controlled districts. However, since November, deaths have been rising in both Republican and Democratic districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public concerns about the coronavirus have long been divided along partisan lines. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to view the coronavirus outbreak as a major threat to the nation\u2019s public health, and Democrats express greater concern than do Republicans about contracting a serious case of COVID-19. However, large majorities in both parties \u2013 91% of Democrats and 81% of Republicans \u2013 report that they wore a mask or face covering always or most of the time when visiting stores and businesses over the past month. (For more, see <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/science\/2020\/12\/03\/intent-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-rises-to-60-as-confidence-in-research-and-development-process-increases\/\">\u201cIntent to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Rises to 60% as Confidence in Research and Development Process Increases.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"methodology\" class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible js-react-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"methodology\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;methodology&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>Methodology<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This analysis relies on official reports of deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus in the United States, collected and reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/CSSEGISandData\/COVID-19\/tree\/master\/csse_covid_19_data\/csse_covid_19_time_series\">Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John Hopkins University<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To estimate the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in each congressional district, researchers used the county-level figures CSSE makes available. In many cases, counties fall into more than one congressional district. In these cases, the deaths in that county were proportionally assigned to the congressional districts it falls into based on the share of the county\u2019s population that falls into each district (using the <a href=\"https:\/\/mcdc.missouri.edu\/applications\/geocorr2018.html\">Geocorr tool from the Missouri Census Data Center<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some small-population counties in Massachusetts and Utah have been aggregated into larger reporting units. In these cases, the aggregate unit was mapped onto congressional districts and deaths were allocated in the same manner detailed above (e.g., Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties in Utah are reported as a single unit; for the purposes of mapping onto congressional districts, these three counties were treated as a single \u201ccounty\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">COVID-19 deaths that are not assigned a specific geographic location are not included in this analysis. This includes (as of Nov. 30, 2020): 442 deaths classified as \u201cout of state,\u201d five deaths recorded in \u201cFederal Correctional Institutions,\u201d 89 deaths recorded in the Michigan Department of Corrections and 1,628 deaths that were recorded by states but not assigned to a specific county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Data was pulled from the GitHub repository maintained by the CSSE on Dec. 4 and reflects reported coronavirus deaths through Dec. 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racial and ethnic composition for congressional districts was drawn from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey estimates published by the Census Bureau (accessed through the <a href=\"https:\/\/cran.r-project.org\/web\/packages\/tidycensus\/index.html\">tidycensus package<\/a> in R on Dec. 1, 2020). The estimates of urban and dense suburban population by congressional district come from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2018-11-20\/citylab-s-congressional-density-index\">CityLab\u2019s estimates<\/a> (accessed on May 21). The 2018 vote share for each congressional district was collected from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/introduction-campaign-finance\/election-and-voting-information\/federal-elections-2018\/\">Federal Election Commission report<\/a> (accessed on Dec. 3).<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-a7876cee-b3c9-4cba-b850-b352ccca7ccc\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_COVID-19-Deaths-Geography_Data-Essay.pdf\">Complete Report PDF<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/PP_2020.12.08_COVID-19-Deaths-Geography_Data-Essay.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-a7876cee-b3c9-4cba-b850-b352ccca7ccc\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graphics by Alissa Scheller and Bradley 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