26217 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 59% of adults in 26217 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26217, ~10% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~41% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26217 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26217 leans more Republican than 4 of 13 neighbors.
26217 runs about 24 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why 26217 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 26217, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 26217, about 95% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 22 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 26217 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 3%, below 94% of zip codes).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 26217, WV sits in the bottom quarter 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 26217 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 26217 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 41%, about 11 points below the West Virginia average of 52%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 26% of adults in 26217 report food insecurity, above 89% 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.