Politics in America is rarely as simple as the talking heads on TV make it out to be. If you followed the 2024 election cycle, you probably heard two very different stories. One was about a "pink wave" of women rising up over reproductive rights. The other was about a massive shift in how the working class, including women, views the Republican party. So, when people ask what percent of women voted for Trump, they’re usually looking for a single number to explain half the population.
But here's the thing: women aren't a monolith. Not even close.
According to the 2024 exit polls from Edison Research, 45% of women voted for Donald Trump. If you look at AP VoteCast data, that number sits at 46%. Either way, it’s a significant chunk of the electorate that stayed remarkably steady—or even grew slightly—since 2020, despite the massive cultural and legal shifts regarding abortion access in the United States.
What Percent of Women Voted for Trump in 2024 vs. 2020?
To understand where we are, we have to look at where we were. In 2020, about 42% to 44% of women backed Trump, depending on which data set you trust. In 2024, that number ticked up.
It wasn't a landslide shift, but it was enough to narrow the "gender gap" that Democrats have relied on for decades. While Kamala Harris still won the majority of women, her 8-to-10 point lead was a far cry from the double-digit advantage Joe Biden enjoyed four years prior.
Why did this happen? Honestly, it comes down to what women were feeling in their wallets. While the media focused heavily on the Dobbs decision and abortion, many women—especially those in rural areas or without college degrees—were more worried about the price of eggs and gas.
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The Great Education Divide
If you want to see where the real fracture in the female vote lies, don't look at gender alone. Look at the diploma.
- Non-college-educated white women: This is Trump’s strongest female base. Roughly 62% to 63% of white women without a four-year degree voted for him.
- College-educated white women: This group went the other way, with a majority supporting Harris.
Basically, the "diploma divide" is now just as powerful as the gender gap. If you have a degree, you're statistically much more likely to vote blue. If you don't, you're likely part of the 45% of women who felt Trump's economic policies better suited your family's needs.
Breaking Down the Demographics: Race and Religion
You can't talk about what percent of women voted for Trump without talking about race. It’s the elephant in the room. White women have actually voted for the Republican candidate in almost every election for the last 50 years. 2024 was no exception.
White Women: The G.O.P. Anchor
In 2024, about 53% of white women cast their ballot for Trump. This number has been surprisingly consistent. Whether it was 2016, 2020, or 2024, more than half of white women have looked at the Republican platform and said, "Yeah, that's for me."
The Hispanic Shift
This is where things got really interesting in the latest election. We saw a notable move toward Trump among Hispanic voters, including women. While the majority of Latinas still voted for Harris, Trump made gains. About 37% to 40% of Hispanic women supported Trump in 2024, which is a jump from previous cycles.
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Black Women: The Most Consistent Block
Black women remain the most loyal constituency for the Democratic party. Only about 7% to 10% of Black women voted for Trump. While that's a tiny increase from the 2020 numbers (where it was around 8%), it’s nowhere near the "mass exodus" some pundits predicted.
The Religious Factor
Religion plays a massive role here, too. If you are a white evangelical woman, you almost certainly voted for Trump. We're talking about 80% or more of this demographic. For these voters, the choice isn't just about the economy; it's about a worldview that aligns with the Republican platform on judges and social values.
Why the "Abortion Wave" Didn't Wash Out Trump
There was a lot of talk about how the end of Roe v. Wade would make it impossible for Trump to win over women. It didn't quite work out that way.
Don't get me wrong—abortion was a huge issue. For women under 30, it was often the top issue. But for older women and those in the "sandwich generation" (caring for kids and aging parents), the economy often took precedence.
- Inflation over everything: Many women told pollsters that "kitchen table issues" were their primary concern. When you're the one managing the household budget, a 20% jump in grocery prices feels like a direct hit.
- Safety and Immigration: In suburban and rural areas, concerns about the border and crime resonated with a significant portion of female voters.
- Party Loyalty: Kinda simple, but many women are just Republicans. They grew up in Republican households, they live in Republican towns, and they believe in Republican principles. They weren't "swing" voters to begin with.
The Age Factor: A Growing Gap
Younger women (18-29) are the most progressive group in America. They voted for Harris by a massive margin—roughly 59% to 35%.
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But as you move up the age brackets, that support for Trump grows. Among women aged 45 to 64, the vote was much closer to a 50/50 split. Older women are more likely to be married, more likely to own homes, and more likely to prioritize different issues than their daughters or granddaughters.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for the Future
If you're looking to understand where American politics is headed, stop looking for "the" female vote. It doesn't exist. Instead, look at these specific drivers:
- Watch the Education Gap: As long as the Republican party is the party of the working class and the Democratic party is the party of the credentialed elite, the split among women will remain deep.
- The Hispanic Vote is in Play: Neither party can take Hispanic women for granted anymore. The shift toward Trump suggests that economic messaging is starting to outweigh traditional identity politics for this group.
- Suburban Battlegrounds: The 2026 midterms and the 2028 election will be won or lost in the suburbs of Philly, Detroit, and Phoenix. Watch whether Trump’s "45%" can hold or if the Democrats can claw back the moderate white women they lost.
Understanding what percent of women voted for Trump reveals a country that is deeply divided along lines of class, geography, and education, rather than just gender. If you want to dive deeper, I'd recommend looking at the specific exit poll data from the Roper Center or the Pew Research Center, which offer the most granular look at these shifting alliances.
To get a better handle on these numbers yourself, you should:
- Compare the 2024 Edison Exit Polls with the AP VoteCast data to see the slight variations in methodology.
- Look at state-level data, specifically in "Blue Wall" states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where the female vote actually decided the outcome.
- Follow the "gender gap" trends over the next two years to see if the shift among Hispanic women is a permanent realignment or a one-time outlier.