Well this has been one heck of a couple of years for the Republican Party. Never in my life time have I see anything like it — given that’s a relatively short lifetime, but who’s counting?
And now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of West Virginia would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Mountain State?
In order to do so, we turned our sites on measuring how each city in West Virginia with populations greater than 5,000 voted and contributed to political campaigns in the past several years. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted republican and gave the most to conservatives where named the most conservative cities in the state.
If you’re wondering, Morgantown is the most liberal city in West Virginia of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in West Virginia.
And if you already knew these places were conservative, check out some more reading about West Virginia and the most conservative places in the country:
How we determined the most conservative cities in West Virginia for 2019
We started by making a list of every city in West Virginia over 5,000 people based on the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (The most recent data). That left us with 27 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and donation data to determine which places lean the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Registered Republicans
- # Of Contributions To Republicans Per Capita
- $ Amount Contributed To Republicans Per Capita
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 27 for each of the criteria where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Keyser, is “The Most Conservative City in West Virginia For 2019”.
Let’s go through these conservative places, shall we?
The 10 Most Conservative Places In West Virginia For 2019
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Keyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,439 at the 2010 census.
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Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,639 at the 2010 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, held annually on the third week of May. The city is located 115 miles northeast from the capital city of Charleston and 140 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,342.
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Princeton, often referred to as the “Jewel of the South,” is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342. The town hosts the Princeton Rays baseball club of the Appalachian League.
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Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley. The current mayor is Rob Rappold
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Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. The population was 9,318 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. The city was named for the nearby ancient Grave Creek Mound, constructed 250 to 100 BC by indigenous people of the Adena culture.
Moundsville was settled in 1771 by English colonists Samuel and James Tomlinson. Fostoria Glass Company was headquartered in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986. The retired West Virginia State Penitentiary operated in Moundsville from 1867 to 1995.
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Grafton is a city in – and the county seat of – Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,164 at the 2010 census. Both of West Virginia’s national cemeteries are located in Grafton. Mother’s Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908 and the city is home to the International Mother’s Day Shrine. Grafton was one of the first places to observe Memorial Day in the United States. Grafton originally developed as a junction point for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, serving numerous branches vital to the local coal industry.
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New Martinsville is a city in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 5,366 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wetzel County.
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Hurricane is a city in Putnam County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in West Virginia
Well there you have it, the places in West Virginia that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Keyser ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in West Virginia:
- Morgantown
- Charles Town
- South Charleston
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- 10 Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In West Virginia
- 10 Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In West Virginia
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In West Virginia
- 10 Safest Places In West Virginia
- 10 Worst Places To Live In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Most Conservative Places In West Virginia
| Rank | City | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keyser, WV | 77.7% |
| 2 | Buckhannon, WV | 75.3% |
| 3 | Bluefield, WV | 75.0% |
| 4 | Princeton, WV | 75.0% |
| 5 | Beckley, WV | 73.8% |
| 6 | Moundsville, WV | 72.4% |
| 7 | Grafton, WV | 71.8% |
| 8 | New Martinsville, WV | 71.6% |
| 9 | Hurricane, WV | 70.6% |
| 10 | Vienna, WV | 70.5% |
| 11 | Parkersburg, WV | 70.5% |
| 12 | Weirton, WV | 69.6% |
| 13 | Elkins, WV | 69.6% |
| 14 | Oak Hill, WV | 66.9% |
| 15 | Clarksburg, WV | 66.1% |
| 16 | Bridgeport, WV | 66.1% |
| 17 | Martinsburg, WV | 65.1% |
| 18 | Fairmont, WV | 62.8% |
| 19 | Wheeling, WV | 61.2% |
| 20 | Huntington, WV | 59.1% |
| 21 | Charleston, WV | 57.0% |
| 22 | St. Albans, WV | 57.0% |
| 23 | Dunbar, WV | 57.0% |
| 24 | Nitro, WV | 57.0% |
| 25 | South Charleston, WV | 57.0% |
| 26 | Charles Town, WV | 53.9% |
| 27 | Morgantown, WV | 50.1% |
