26534 leans slightly Republican by roughly 6 points: about 47% of voters vote Democratic and 53% Republican.
About 39% of adults in 26534 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26534, ~18% vote Democratic, ~21% Republican, and ~61% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26534 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26534 leans more Republican than 2 of 32 neighbors.
26534 runs about 36 points more Democratic than West Virginia as a whole.
Why 26534 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 26534, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
26534 votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 70%, far above the West Virginia average of 12%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Homeownership and voter turnout
Places with renter-heavy households tend to turn out at a lower rate; 26534, WV sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in 26534 looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 60% of households in 26534 rent, about 35 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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.