Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Charleston, WV
presidential margin
2008D+0.22012R+14.52016R+24.92020R+19.92024R+22.9
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+22.9
2024
median income$59,838U.S. $80,734 · WV $59,608
median age44.0U.S. 39.1 · WV 42.9
poverty rate16.2%U.S. 12.5% · WV 16.7%
bachelor’s+ (25+)27.1%U.S. 35.6% · WV 24.4%
non-english2.1%U.S. 22.3% · WV 2.5%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
English16.7%
Irish11.4%
German10.6%
African American†3.5%
African0.3%
Mexican0.7%
Puerto Rican0.3%
Asian Indian0.5%
Filipino0.2%
religion
other traditions
Mainline11.7%
Black Protestant3.9%
Latter-day Saints0.8%
Other Christian0.6%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Charleston, WV, West Virginia

Akashic
Charleston, WVTrumpR+22.9
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Charleston, WV, WVA map of the constituent counties of Charleston, WV, WV, each outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Boone County, WV · R+57.4Clay County, WV · R+62.3Kanawha County, WV · R+17.4
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican60.3%52,263
Kamala HarrisDemocratic37.5%32,452
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Independent2.2%1,906
D+60
R+60
3 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (3 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Charleston, WV, WV — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Boone County, WVRepublicanR+57.4
Clay County, WVRepublicanR+62.3
Kanawha County, WVRepublicanR+17.4
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
37.5%Harris32,452
60.3%Trump52,263
2.2%Kennedy1,906
−22.9%
86,621
R
39.1%Biden37,026
59.1%Trump55,893
1.8%Jorgensen1,709
−19.9%
94,628
R
34.5%Clinton30,621
59.4%Trump52,654
6.1%Johnson5,387
−24.9%
88,662
R
41.7%Obama36,201
56.2%Romney48,802
2.1%Johnson1,829
−14.5%
86,832
D
49.5%Obama46,544
49.2%McCain46,339
1.3%Nader1,228
+0.2%
94,111
R
49.7%Kerry50,778
49.7%Bush50,835
0.6%Nader585
−0.1%
102,198
D
51.2%Gore45,797
47.0%Bush42,049
1.7%Nader1,547
+4.2%
89,393
D
54.5%Clinton48,479
36.4%Dole32,365
9.2%Perot8,150
+18.1%
88,994
D
49.3%Clinton46,819
36.5%Bush34,634
14.3%Perot13,536
+12.8%
94,989
D
53.9%Dukakis49,946
45.8%Bush42,462
0.3%Fulani290
+8.1%
92,698
R
44.8%Mondale47,070
55.0%Reagan57,822
0.3%Richards267
−10.2%
105,159
D
48.9%Carter52,529
44.8%Reagan48,220
6.3%Anderson6,773
+4.0%
107,522
D
58.2%Carter64,792
41.8%Ford46,567
0.0%
+16.4%
111,359
R
38.2%McGovern45,204
61.8%Nixon73,174
0.0%
−23.6%
118,378
D
48.2%Humphrey54,957
40.5%Nixon46,156
11.2%Wallace12,799
+7.7%
113,912
D
66.1%Johnson82,302
33.9%Goldwater42,216
0.0%
+32.2%
124,518
D
50.7%Kennedy65,401
49.3%Nixon63,640
0.0%
+1.4%
129,041
R
47.4%Stevenson60,043
52.6%Eisenhower66,613
0.0%
−5.2%
126,656
D
50.8%Stevenson65,563
49.2%Eisenhower63,495
0.0%
+1.6%
129,058
D
57.4%Truman62,960
42.3%Dewey46,419
0.3%Thurmond365
+15.1%
109,744
D
57.2%Roosevelt56,161
42.8%Dewey42,051
0.0%
+14.4%
98,212
D
59.5%Roosevelt69,321
40.5%Willkie47,122
0.0%
+19.1%
116,443
D
59.9%Roosevelt61,885
40.0%Landon41,377
0.1%Lemke118
+19.8%
103,380
D
53.0%Roosevelt47,628
46.1%Hoover41,453
0.9%Thomas832
+6.9%
89,913
R
43.1%Smith32,297
56.6%Hoover42,339
0.3%Thomas228
−13.4%
74,864
R
43.8%Davis28,089
48.1%Coolidge30,871
8.1%La Follette5,195
−4.3%
64,155
R
44.4%Cox23,346
54.1%Harding28,436
1.6%Debs816
−9.7%
52,598
D
48.8%Wilson12,720
48.4%Hughes12,621
2.8%Benson729
+0.4%
26,070
O
38.8%Wilson8,709
11.3%Taft2,548
49.9%Roosevelt11,193
Roosevelt +11.1
22,450
R
40.6%Bryan8,973
54.2%Taft11,977
5.1%Debs1,129
−13.6%
22,079
R
40.7%Parker7,726
56.2%Roosevelt10,666
3.0%Debs571
−15.5%
18,963
R
41.6%Bryan6,410
57.9%McKinley8,918
0.5%Woolley74
−16.3%
15,402
R
42.7%Bryan6,243
56.7%McKinley8,287
0.6%Palmer83
−14.0%
14,613
R
47.6%Cleveland5,834
49.8%Harrison6,113
2.6%Weaver318
−2.3%
12,265
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −22.9% in 2024.flipped R · 2012−22.9%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−2.3%
1896−14.0%
1900−16.3%
1904−15.5%
1908−13.6%
1912+27.4%
1916+0.4%
1920−9.7%
1924−4.3%
1928−13.4%
1932+6.9%
1936+19.8%
1940+19.1%
1944+14.4%
1948+15.1%
1952+1.6%
1956−5.2%
1960+1.4%
1964+32.2%
1968+7.7%
1972−23.6%
1976+16.4%
1980+4.0%
1984−10.2%
1988+8.1%
1992+12.8%
1996+18.1%
2000+4.2%
2004−0.1%
2008+0.2%
2012−14.5%
2016−24.9%
2020−19.9%
2024−22.9%
DemocraticRepublican

Once a reliable Democratic stronghold anchored by coal and chemical industry labor, the Charleston metro has swung decisively toward Republican candidates at nearly every level since 2000, mirroring West Virginia's broader partisan realignment.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 32.2 points in 1964 and a Republican high of 24.9 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 2.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 22.9 points.

A population of 205,398, a 88% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $59,838 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Fairmont, WV and Pikeville, KY.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Fairmont, WV
66.0twin score
2000–2004 trajectory% Whiteelasticity≠ population scale
Pikeville, KY
65.6twin score
2000–2004 trajectory% Latino% Catholic≠ elasticity
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
65.4twin score
% Catholic% Latino% White≠ 12-yr trend

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Charleston, WV, West Virginia. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/16620/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Charleston, WV

counties3
Boone CountyClay CountyKanawha County

Frequently asked questions

How did Charleston, WV, West Virginia vote in 2024?
In 2024, Charleston, WV, West Virginia voted Republican by 22.9 points (R+22.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 86,621 votes cast, 32,452 went Democratic and 52,263 went Republican.
When did Charleston, WV, West Virginia last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Charleston, WV, West Virginia voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Charleston, WV, West Virginia?
Charleston, WV, West Virginia has a population of 205,398 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Charleston, WV, West Virginia?
Median household income in Charleston, WV, West Virginia is $59,838 — below the national median of $80,734. The West Virginia state median is $59,608.
What is the political history of Charleston, WV, West Virginia?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Charleston, WV, West Virginia from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 17 went Democratic and 16 went Republican.