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The same phenomenon, wealthier areas not as supportive of Trump as more blue collar districts, holds in Texas. During the 2016 Presidential election, looking at five suburban counties in Texas (Collin, Denton, Williamson, Fort Bend, and Galveston), Trump underperformed Romney four years earlier in four out of five counties. In 2016, while Trump won Collin County, he did so by a 61,000 vote margin out of 358,000 cast, vs. Romney winning the county by 95,000 out of 304,000 cast. The only suburban county where Trump matched Romney's totals was Galveston County.

Other states have had similar results. In 2012, Obama lost Orange County, California, but Hillary carried the county last year. Other states, not so much. The suburban counties around St. Louis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland saw little deterioration and in some cases slight increases for Trump vs. Romney. In New York, Trump carried Staten Island and suburban Suffolk County, both of which Obama won in 2012.

Winning the allegiance of Never Trump GOP voters will have to center on issues such as lowering taxes and decreasing regulatory burden on the Federal level. Such measures will increase economic activity, which will benefit the affluent. A rising tide lift all boats.

Demography is destiny. Much of the shift you describe has to do with the changing demographics of these counties fueled by mass immigration. We have brought in 35 million legal permanent immigrants since 1990, 87% of whom are minorities as classified by the USG. Immigrants and minorities vote more than two to one Dem. Every year we bring in 1.1 million legal permanent immigrants. Non-Hispanic whites, the GOP base, are declining as a percentage of the population. In 1970 they were 89% of the population; today they are 63%; and by 2043 they will be 50%.

In 1970 one in 21 was foreign born in this country; today, it is a little less than one in 8, the highest it has been in 105 years; and within a decade in will be one in 7, the highest in our history.