26818 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 52% of adults in 26818 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26818, ~9% vote Democratic, ~43% Republican, and ~48% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26818 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26818 leans more Republican than 3 of 9 neighbors.
26818 runs about 24 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 26818. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+69) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+55), a spread of about 14 points.
Why 26818 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 26818, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 6% of adults in 26818 hold a bachelor's degree, about 11 points below the West Virginia average of 17%.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 26818, WV sits below the national average 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 26818 looks the way it does
Areas with low high-school completion turn out at lower rates. About 78% of adults in 26818 have completed high school, about 11 points below the U.S. average of 90%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in 26818 report food insecurity, above 81% 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.