26716 is a Republican stronghold. About 16% of voters here vote Democratic and 84% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 26716 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26716, ~9% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26716 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26716 leans more Republican than 8 of 11 neighbors.
26716 runs about 27 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why 26716 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 26716, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In 26716, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 28%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 89% of households in 26716 are family households, in the top fraction of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 26716, WV sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 26716 looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 5% of homes in 26716 have more than one occupant per room, above 88% 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.