Kanawha County, West Virginia: Republican loyalist county. In 2024, voted R+17%. Democratic peak: D+30 in 1964.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+17MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- Republican loyalistAkashic typology
- Population
- 176,5372024 5-year
- Median household income
- $60,9432024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 86.4%2024 5-year
- Black
- 4.9%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 1.6%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+30 in 1964MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+26 in 1972MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Norton city, VA · similarity 0.98
2024 results by precinct
2024 precinct map of Kanawha CountyPrecinct-level 2024 presidential results for Kanawha County, with each precinct boundary colored by Democratic-vs-Republican margin.
—
Margin—
Turnout—
Harris +50Trump +50
Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 30,231 | 43,352 | 75,239 | ||
| R | 34,344 | 46,398 | 82,250 | ||
| R | 28,263 | 43,850 | 76,888 | ||
| R | 32,480 | 41,364 | 75,312 | ||
| R | 40,594 | 40,952 | 82,480 | ||
| R | 43,010 | 44,430 | 87,928 | ||
| D | 38,524 | 36,809 | 76,670 | ||
| D | 40,357 | 29,311 | 76,495 | ||
| D | 38,315 | 31,358 | 81,674 | ||
| D | 41,144 | 38,140 | 79,542 | ||
| R | 37,832 | 51,499 | 89,542 | ||
| D | 42,829 | 42,604 | 91,760 | ||
| D | 53,602 | 42,213 | 95,815 | ||
| R | 38,032 | 65,021 | 103,053 | ||
| D | 46,650 | 41,712 | 99,886 | ||
| D | 70,511 | 38,383 | 108,894 | ||
| R | 54,484 | 57,130 | 111,614 | ||
| R | 50,289 | 58,597 | 108,886 | ||
| R | 54,540 | 56,861 | 111,401 | ||
| D | 53,213 | 41,144 | 94,695 | ||
| D | 47,400 | 36,488 | 83,888 | ||
| D | 57,932 | 40,113 | 98,045 | ||
| D | 50,801 | 35,387 | 86,301 | ||
| D | 38,617 | 35,455 | 74,821 | ||
| R | 25,563 | 35,788 | 61,535 | ||
| R | 22,726 | 26,018 | 52,951 | ||
| R | 19,284 | 23,781 | 43,769 | ||
| D | 10,276 | 10,096 | 20,970 | ||
| O | 6,658 | 1,780 | 17,869 | ||
| R | 7,117 | 9,663 | 17,754 | ||
| R | 5,756 | 8,857 | 15,108 | ||
| D | 7,249 | 4,736 | 12,048 | ||
| R | 4,824 | 6,948 | 11,847 | ||
| R | 4,549 | 5,078 | 9,923 | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — |
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
English
17.1%
Irish
11.6%
German
10.8%
American
8.4%
Italian
2.9%
Scottish
2.4%
Polish
1.1%
African American
3.9%
Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 43.8 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$60,943
Kanawha County ranks near the middle of US counties.
Kanawha County$60,943
West Virginia$59,608
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
15.7%
Children face moderate poverty.
Children under 1820.6%
Working age (18–64)15.0%
Seniors (65+)11.2%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
97.7%
speak English only
Other Indo-European1.0%
Spanish0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander0.3%
Other languages0.2%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 59.2% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
Once a Democratic stronghold anchored by organized labor and the state capital, Kanawha County has shifted decisively rightward over two decades, mirroring West Virginia's broader realignment while remaining the state's most populous county.
The Republican margin in Kanawha County reached its widest at twenty-six points in 1972. The margin in 2024 was seventeen points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $60,943, a 86% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 176,537 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Norton city and Lincoln County.
Most similar counties
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Kanawha County, West Virginia — The Long Memory. Akashic Intelligence — The Long Memory. https://akashic.app/county/54039/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
More in West Virginia
More republican loyalist counties
Frequently asked questions
How did Kanawha County, West Virginia vote in 2024?
In 2024, Kanawha County, West Virginia voted Republican by 17.4 points (R+17), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 75,239 votes cast, 30,231 went Democratic and 43,352 went Republican.
What is Kanawha County, West Virginia's political archetype?
Akashic classifies Kanawha County, West Virginia as a "Republican loyalist" county based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the county has voted Democratic 15 times, Republican 18 times, and other 1 times.
When did Kanawha County, West Virginia last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Kanawha County, West Virginia voted Democratic was 2000.
How many people live in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
Kanawha County, West Virginia has a population of 176,537 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
Median household income in Kanawha County, West Virginia is $60,943 — below the national median of $80,734. The West Virginia state median is $59,608.
What is the political history of Kanawha County, West Virginia?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Kanawha County, West Virginia from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 18 went Republican. The county's archetype — "Republican loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.