Branchland is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 56% of adults in Branchland typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Branchland, ~10% vote Democratic, ~47% Republican, and ~43% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Branchland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Branchland leans more Republican than 56 of 89 neighbors.
Branchland runs about 25 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why Branchland leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Branchland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 9% of adults in Branchland hold a bachelor's degree, about 8 points below the West Virginia average of 17%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Branchland, WV sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Branchland looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 33% of households in Branchland rent, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 25%. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 21% of adults in Branchland report food insecurity, above 84% of cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 80% of adults in Branchland have completed high school, below 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Pleasant View, WV R+70
- Midkiff, WV R+69
- West Hamlin, WV R+65
- Minerva, WV R+65
- Myra, WV R+63
- New Hamlin, WV R+63
- Salt Rock, WV R+62
- Hamlin, WV R+57
- Gilkerson, WV R+61
- Nestlow, WV R+64
Cities with Similar Populations
- McClellanville, SC D+9
- DeSoto, IL R+40
- Weston, OH R+44
- Mason, TX R+50
- Central Lake, MI R+21
- Irvington, KY R+51
- Kemmerer, WY R+61
- Lonaconing, MD R+59
- Bradyville, TN R+74
- Silver Lake, WI R+23
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.