Summers County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 60% of adults in Summers County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Summers County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~46% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Summers County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Summers County leans more Republican than 8 of 15 neighbors.
Summers County runs about 10 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Summers County. The southwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+61) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+49), a spread of about 11 points.
Why Summers County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Summers County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 12% of residents in Summers County live in densely developed areas, about 24 points below the U.S. average of 36%.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Summers County, 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 Summers County looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Summers County is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 83% of adults in Summers County have completed high school, below 86% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Monroe County, WV R+63
- Raleigh County, WV R+46
- Greenbrier County, WV R+47
- Giles County, VA R+58
- Mercer County, WV R+50
- Fayette County, WV R+46
- Bland County, VA R+68
- Craig County, VA R+64
- Wyoming County, WV R+73
- Radford City, VA Even
Counties with Similar Populations
- Morris County, TX R+39
- Lunenburg County, VA R+24
- Lyon County, IA R+65
- Greene County, IL R+56
- Prowers County, CO R+38
- Owyhee County, ID R+63
- Chickasaw County, IA R+40
- Lawrence County, MS R+30
- Little River County, AR R+45
- Washington County, KY R+58
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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.