26202 is a Republican stronghold. About 22% of voters here vote Democratic and 78% Republican.
About 73% of adults in 26202 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26202, ~16% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~27% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26202 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26202 leans more Republican than 1 of 15 neighbors.
26202 runs about 15 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 26202. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+58) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+47), a spread of about 12 points.
Why 26202 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 26202, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 26202, more than 99% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 27 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 13 points below the U.S. average of 28%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 26202 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 83% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 94% of households in 26202 are family households, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 26202, WV sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 26202 looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 97% of households in 26202 own their home, about 15 points above the West Virginia average of 81%. 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.