26266 is a Republican stronghold. About 14% of voters here vote Democratic and 86% Republican.
About 62% of adults in 26266 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26266, ~9% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~38% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26266 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26266 leans more Republican than 11 of 12 neighbors.
26266 runs about 31 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why 26266 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 26266, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 6% of adults in 26266 hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the West Virginia average of 17%. Car-dependent areas vote Republican, and about 84% of residents in 26266 drive to work alone, above 83% of zip codes. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 82% of households in 26266 are family households, above 94% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 26266, WV sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 26266 looks the way it does
High-crime urban areas turn out at lower rates, mostly because the housing stress common in those areas makes voting harder. 26266 sits in the top 15% nationally on a violent-crime measure. See CrimeGrade for more details. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 36% of households in 26266 rent, compared to around 21% in nearby zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 87% of adults in 26266 have completed high school, below 76% 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.