Affluent Massachusetts towns, 1960

[King of Kensington]

Came across this...

1960 vote

Brookline  51-48 D
Newton  51-48 D
Lexington  57-41 R
Concord  59-40 R
Lincoln  63-36 R

Source: Lily Geismer, Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Came across this...

1960 vote

Brookline  51-48 D
Newton  51-48 D
Lexington  57-41 R
Concord  59-40 R
Lincoln  63-36 R

Source: Lily Geismer, Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party

Is my presumption that Lexington and Concord were less Catholic than Brookline at least at this time accurate?

[King of Kensington]

The book cites a study saying Newton was 40% Catholic, 36% Protestant and 23% Jewish at the time.

[King of Kensington]

The 1980 census, the first to have the ancestry question, might offer some clues.  No Jewish population figures, but Brookline and Newton were "Jewish suburbs."

Brookline

English  15.5%
Irish  18.1%
Italian  5.4%

Newton

English  16.5%
Irish  22.4%
Italian  14.6%

Lexington

English  25.2%
Irish  26%
Italian  11.7%

Concord

English  37.9%
Irish  28.6%
Italian  8.8%

Lincoln

English  35.6%
Irish  19.5%
Italian  4.5%

[TDAS04]

They certainly all went for LBJ by massive landslides next time.  I'm also pretty sure Humphrey outperformed Kennedy in all or almost all of them, and I wouldn't be surprised if McGovern also outperformed Kennedy in some.

[King of Kensington]

Eisenhower won all of these suburbs, and Goldwater lost all of them.

[King of Kensington]

Lexington went 52-46 D in 1972.  I can't find results for any other of these towns at the moment.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Came across this...

1960 vote

Brookline  51-48 D
Newton  51-48 D
Lexington  57-41 R
Concord  59-40 R
Lincoln  63-36 R

Source: Lily Geismer, Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party

Is my presumption that Lexington and Concord were less Catholic than Brookline at least at this time accurate?

I don't know but Brookline was JFK's childhood hometown.