25517 is a Republican stronghold. About 15% of voters here vote Democratic and 85% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 25517 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 25517, ~9% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 25517 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 25517 leans more Republican than 9 of 10 neighbors.
25517 runs about 28 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 25517. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+74) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+63), a spread of about 11 points.
Why 25517 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 25517, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 25517, about 98% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 26 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the West Virginia average of 17%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 85% of residents in 25517 drive to work alone, above 86% of zip codes.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 25517, WV sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 25517 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 25517 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 45%, about 7 points below the West Virginia average of 52%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in 25517 report food insecurity, above 88% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 70% of adults in 25517 have completed high school, below 98% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from West Virginia Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.