Conservative counties in WA are less educated
With the exception of Whitman County (population 44,776), the counties that voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 are less educated than those that voted for Barack Obama, as measured by the percent of citizens 25 years and over with at least a bachelors degree. Click on the image for a larger version.
Notice that the points cluster on a line with negative slope, going from King County in the upper-left down towards Adams County in the lower right.
Source: US census and the Washington Secretary of States 2012 election results here. Raw data below.
Ordered by conservativeness (increasing)
+--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ | county | conservativeness | bachelors_or_above_percent | population_2010 | +--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ | King | 0.2921 | 46 | 1931249 | | San Juan | 0.3039 | 44.8 | 15769 | | Jefferson | 0.3346 | 35.3 | 29872 | | Thurston | 0.3997 | 32 | 252264 | | Snohomish | 0.4137 | 28.8 | 713335 | | Grays Harbor | 0.4274 | 14.4 | 72797 | | Whatcom | 0.4279 | 31.9 | 201140 | | Kitsap | 0.4399 | 28.9 | 251133 | | Pacific | 0.4406 | 16.7 | 20920 | | Pierce | 0.4433 | 23.6 | 795225 | | Mason | 0.4636 | 18.3 | 60699 | | Skagit | 0.4664 | 23.6 | 116901 | | Cowlitz | 0.4772 | 15.4 | 102410 | | Island | 0.4772 | 30.8 | 78506 | | Clallam | 0.4981 | 24.6 | 71404 | | Clark | 0.4988 | 26 | 425363 | | Wahkiakum | 0.5056 | 16.7 | 3978 | | Skamania | 0.5056 | 22.5 | 11066 | | Whitman | 0.5142 | 48.8 | 44776 | | Spokane | 0.5299 | 28.7 | 471221 | | Klickitat | 0.5362 | 18.9 | 20318 | | Kittitas | 0.5517 | 31.7 | 40915 | | Yakima | 0.5598 | 15.9 | 243231 | | Okanogan | 0.5647 | 17.6 | 41120 | | Chelan | 0.5839 | 24.1 | 72453 | | Asotin | 0.5855 | 16.3 | 21623 | | Walla Walla | 0.5999 | 25.7 | 58781 | | Ferry | 0.6066 | 14 | 7551 | | Pend Oreille | 0.6118 | 17.1 | 13001 | | Lewis | 0.6176 | 14.9 | 75455 | | Franklin | 0.6208 | 14.8 | 78163 | | Benton | 0.6373 | 28.6 | 175177 | | Stevens | 0.6382 | 18.9 | 43531 | | Douglas | 0.6459 | 17.4 | 38431 | | Grant | 0.6661 | 14.6 | 89120 | | Adams | 0.6731 | 12.3 | 18728 | | Lincoln | 0.7083 | 19.2 | 10570 | | Columbia | 0.7085 | 18.7 | 4078 | | Garfield | 0.7310 | 24.6 | 2266 | +--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ 39 rows in set (0.00 sec)
Ordered by education level (decreasing):
+--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ | county | conservativeness | bachelors_or_above_percent | population_2010 | +--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ | Whitman | 0.5142 | 48.8 | 44776 | | King | 0.2921 | 46 | 1931249 | | San Juan | 0.3039 | 44.8 | 15769 | | Jefferson | 0.3346 | 35.3 | 29872 | | Thurston | 0.3997 | 32 | 252264 | | Whatcom | 0.4279 | 31.9 | 201140 | | Kittitas | 0.5517 | 31.7 | 40915 | | Island | 0.4772 | 30.8 | 78506 | | Kitsap | 0.4399 | 28.9 | 251133 | | Snohomish | 0.4137 | 28.8 | 713335 | | Spokane | 0.5299 | 28.7 | 471221 | | Benton | 0.6373 | 28.6 | 175177 | | Clark | 0.4988 | 26 | 425363 | | Walla Walla | 0.5999 | 25.7 | 58781 | | Clallam | 0.4981 | 24.6 | 71404 | | Garfield | 0.7310 | 24.6 | 2266 | | Chelan | 0.5839 | 24.1 | 72453 | | Skagit | 0.4664 | 23.6 | 116901 | | Pierce | 0.4433 | 23.6 | 795225 | | Skamania | 0.5056 | 22.5 | 11066 | | Lincoln | 0.7083 | 19.2 | 10570 | | Stevens | 0.6382 | 18.9 | 43531 | | Klickitat | 0.5362 | 18.9 | 20318 | | Columbia | 0.7085 | 18.7 | 4078 | | Mason | 0.4636 | 18.3 | 60699 | | Okanogan | 0.5647 | 17.6 | 41120 | | Douglas | 0.6459 | 17.4 | 38431 | | Pend Oreille | 0.6118 | 17.1 | 13001 | | Wahkiakum | 0.5056 | 16.7 | 3978 | | Pacific | 0.4406 | 16.7 | 20920 | | Asotin | 0.5855 | 16.3 | 21623 | | Yakima | 0.5598 | 15.9 | 243231 | | Cowlitz | 0.4772 | 15.4 | 102410 | | Lewis | 0.6176 | 14.9 | 75455 | | Franklin | 0.6208 | 14.8 | 78163 | | Grant | 0.6661 | 14.6 | 89120 | | Grays Harbor | 0.4274 | 14.4 | 72797 | | Ferry | 0.6066 | 14 | 7551 | | Adams | 0.6731 | 12.3 | 18728 | +--------------+------------------+----------------------------+-----------------+ 39 rows in set (0.00 sec)