26230 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 26230 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26230, ~10% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26230 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26230 leans more Republican than 8 of 15 neighbors.
26230 runs about 25 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why 26230 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 26230, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 14% of adults in 26230 hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the U.S. average of 28%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; 26230, 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 26230 looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 24% of homes in 26230 have more than one occupant per room, in the top fraction of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 83% of adults in 26230 have completed high school, below 86% of zip codes. High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, and 26230 sits in the top 15% on a violent-crime measure. 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.