26271 leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 69% of adults in 26271 typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26271, ~20% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~31% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26271 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26271 leans more Republican than 2 of 11 neighbors.
Politically, 26271 sits close to the rest of West Virginia.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 26271. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+54) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+32), a spread of about 22 points.
Why 26271 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 26271, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in 26271 live in densely developed areas, about 7 points below the West Virginia average of 12%.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; 26271, WV sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in 26271 looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. 26271 is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 60%, below 60% 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.