In 2010, the center of population of West Virginia was in northern Braxton County.

[4] Important salt works were located at Bulltown and here, in 1772, Captain Bull and his family and friendly Delaware Indians were massacred by frontiersmen.

[7] In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government.

This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.

[8] Braxton County was originally divided into four townships: Clay, Franklin, Lincoln, and Washington, which became magisterial districts in 1872.

Two years later, Salt Lick District was formed from part of Kanawha.

Between 1980 and 1990, the county was reorganized into four new magisterial districts: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.

[15] As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,523 people, 6,000 households, and 4,043 families living in the county.

25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Consequently, up until the decline of coal mining unionization,[20] and growing opposition to socially controversial issues,[21] Braxton County was overwhelmingly Democratic.

Like all of West Virginia, it has seen an extremely rapid shift to the Republicans over the past five elections.