Russet is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 45% of adults in Russet typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Russet, ~8% vote Democratic, ~37% Republican, and ~55% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Russet compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Russet leans more Republican than 55 of 117 neighbors.
Russet runs about 22 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Why Russet 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 Russet, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in Russet live in densely developed areas, about 7 points below the West Virginia average of 12%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Russet fits that profile on both counts.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Russet, WV sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Russet looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 23% of adults in Russet report food insecurity, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Russet sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Sycamore, WV R+62
- Grantsville, WV R+67
- Mount Zion, WV R+63
- Henrietta, WV R+68
- Millstone, WV R+63
- Joker, WV R+66
- Pleasant Hill, WV R+66
- White Pine, WV R+68
- Arnoldsburg, WV R+65
Cities with Similar Populations
- Patzau, WI R+29
- Vilas, FL R+36
- Headlee, IN R+56
- Hanna, UT R+60
- Cucumber, WV R+65
- Lake City, IL R+61
- Smyrna Center, ME R+48
- Cusson, MN R+27
- Roma Creek, TX R+4
- South Bridgton, ME R+15
All Local Stats
Home Services
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.