26717 is a Republican stronghold. About 14% of voters here vote Democratic and 86% Republican.
About 52% of adults in 26717 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26717, ~7% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26717 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26717 leans more Republican than 11 of 16 neighbors.
26717 runs about 29 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 26717. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+75) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+62), a spread of about 13 points.
Why 26717 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 26717, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 4% of residents in 26717 live in densely developed areas, about 8 points below the West Virginia average of 12%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and 26717 fits that profile on both counts. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 75% of households in 26717 are family households, above 81% of zip codes.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 26717, 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 26717 looks the way it does
Areas with low high-school completion turn out at lower rates. About 82% of adults in 26717 have completed high school, about 8 points below the U.S. average of 90%. Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout, and about 4% of homes in 26717 have more than one occupant per room, above 80% 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.