Ohio River metro where industrial decline reshaped the partisan map
Once a Democratic stronghold anchored by steel and glass manufacturing, the Wheeling metro has shifted sharply toward Republican margins over the past two decades as union-household share fell and working-class realignment accelerated across the Upper Ohio Valley.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 70K | R+47.3 | 8,080 | 22,758 | 31,037 | 12.3% |
| Belmont | 69K | R+47.3 | 8,080 | 22,758 | 31,037 | 12.3% |
| Belmont | 68K | R+47.3 | 8,080 | 22,758 | 31,037 | 12.3% |
| Belmont | 65K | R+47.3 | 8,080 | 22,758 | 31,037 | 12.3% |
| Ohio | 47K | R+25.9 | 6,727 | 11,593 | 18,768 | 7.4% |
| Ohio | 44K | R+25.9 | 6,727 | 11,593 | 18,768 | 7.4% |
| Ohio | 43K | R+25.9 | 6,727 | 11,593 | 18,768 | 7.4% |
| Ohio | 42K | R+25.9 | 6,727 | 11,593 | 18,768 | 7.4% |
| Marshall | 36K | R+50.0 | 3,186 | 9,808 | 13,235 | 5.2% |
| Marshall | 33K | R+50.0 | 3,186 | 9,808 | 13,235 | 5.2% |
| Marshall | 32K | R+50.0 | 3,186 | 9,808 | 13,235 | 5.2% |
| Marshall | 30K | R+50.0 | 3,186 | 9,808 | 13,235 | 5.2% |
| Group | Wheeling, WV-OH | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 93.6% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(7) | 3.0% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 1.9% | 4.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(13) | 0.9% | 19.3% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(6) | 0.7% | 0.9% |
▶Asian(5) | 0.5% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.8% | 33.0% | — | — | |
| 13.6% | 32.4% | — | — | |
| 12.8% | 30.6% | — | — | |
| 1.1% | 2.7% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.4% | 1.0% | — | — |
| 0.3% | 0.7% | — | — | |
| 0.3% | 0.6% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 58.1% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area? 580,815 residents across 12 counties.
19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 14pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+15 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Governor | R+41.5 | R+28.5 | 13.0pp |
| President vs Senate | R+41.5 | R+29.9 | 11.6pp |
| Senate vs Governor | R+29.9 | R+28.5 | 1.4pp |