Parkersburg leans Republican by roughly 18 points: about 41% of voters vote Democratic and 59% Republican.
About 68% of adults in Parkersburg typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Parkersburg, ~28% vote Democratic, ~40% Republican, and ~32% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Parkersburg compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Parkersburg leans more Republican than 20 of 41 neighbors.
Parkersburg runs about 14 points more Republican than North Carolina as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Parkersburg. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+29) and the northeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+12), a spread of about 16 points.
Why Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 86% of residents in Parkersburg drive to work alone, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 74%. Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Parkersburg sits in the bottom quarter (about 15%, below 76% of cities).
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Parkersburg, NC sits in the bottom tenth 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 Parkersburg looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Parkersburg is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Mintz, NC R+13
- Garland, NC R+11
- Highsmiths, NC R+32
- Ingold, NC R+23
- Piney Ridge, NC R+30
- Butlers Crossroads, NC R+36
- Roseboro, NC R+28
- Taylors Bridge, NC R+20
- White Lake, NC R+50
- Delway, NC R+16
Cities with Similar Populations
- Pea Ridge, AL R+87
- Tennessee, IL R+47
- Morena, CA R+33
- Peruville, NY R+3
- Chester, OH R+63
- Brozville, MS D+58
- Penola, VA R+3
- South Bolton, MA D+31
- Ashuelot, NH R+24
- Palmetto, LA R+22
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from North Carolina State Board of 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.