Here is an analysis of how each state is trending relative to the national average. This does not reflect raw vote percentages, but their relative percentages to the national average. This helps to eliminate the noise of elections with extremely popular or unpopular presidents as a whole. For instance, if a GOP candidate got 5% more votes nationally, but state XX only voted GOP by 2% more, it would have trended 3% more liberal, even if the state flipped to GOP. I am only using data back to 1972, since there seemed to be a radical realignment from 1968 and earlier. (Also required adjustments for the two Ross Perot elections in 1992/1996)
| State | Trend |
| Alabama | Steadily more conservative since 1976 |
| Alaska | Erratically more conservative since 1972, but may have reversed since 2008 |
| Arizona | Long term slowly trending liberal since 1980 |
| Arkansas | Strongly trending conservative since 1976 |
| California | Steadily more liberal since 1976 |
| Colorado | Slowly more liberal since 1976 |
| Connecticut | Trended liberal until 2000, trended conservative since |
| Delaware | Slowly trending liberal since 1968 |
| DC | Trending liberal even though they're not far from 100% |
| Florida | No statistical trend long-term, but slow conservative trend since 2000 |
| Georgia | Mostly flat since 1988. Erratic before then |
| Hawaii | Consistent liberal trend since 1972, accelerating |
| Idaho | Long-term conservative trend, reversed since 2000 |
| Illinois | Moderate liberal trend |
| Indiana | Slow conservative trend, except for 2008 |
| Iowa | Statistically flat long-term, except for 1988 & 2016 |
| Kansas | Erratic conservative trend since 1976 |
| Kentucky | Strong conservative trend |
| Louisiana | Strong conservative trend |
| Maine | Trended liberal until 1996, but has trended conservative since |
| Maryland | Moderate liberal trend |
| Massachusetts | No statistical long-term trend |
| Michigan | No statistical long-term trend |
| Minnesota | Slow conservative trend |
| Mississippi | Moderate conservative trend |
| Missouri | Moderate conservative trend since 1992, slight liberal before that |
| Montana | Very erratic conservative trend |
| Nebraska | Very erratic flat trend |
| Nevada | Very erratic liberal trend |
| New Hampshire | Strong liberal trend until 1992, flat since |
| New Jersey | Moderate liberal trend |
| New Mexico | Moderate liberal trend |
| New York | Strong liberal trend |
| North Carolina | Strong conservative trend until 2000. May have reversed since |
| North Dakota | Strong erratic conservative trend |
| Ohio | Very slight conservative trend, jumped in 2016 |
| Oklahoma | Strong conservative trend |
| Oregon | Slow liberal trend |
| Pennsylvania | Slight conservative trend since 1984 |
| Rhode Island | Erratic, but trending conservative since 2000 |
| South Carolina | Strong conservative trend until 1992, may be slightly liberal since |
| South Dakota | Moderate conservative trend |
| Tennessee | Strong conservative trend |
| Texas | Moderate conservative trend, slow liberal trend since 2000 |
| Utah | Moderate conservative trend (when adjusted for Perot and McMullin) |
| Vermont | Strong liberal trend |
| Virginia | Moderate liberal trend since 1992 |
| Washington | Moderate liberal trend |
| West Virginia | Extreme conservative trend since 1988 |
| Wisconsin | Slow conservative trend |
| Wyoming | Moderate conservative trend |
