26034 ZIP Code — Chester, WV

Hancock County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26034 is located in Chester, West Virginia, within Hancock County. It covers approximately 15.11 square miles and serves a population of 4,316 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 26034

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $115,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $53,760. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

4,316

population

15.11

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26034 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26034

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26034. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chester	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26050 Newell (3.1 mi) 15043 Georgetown (4.7 mi) 26047 New Cumberland (5 mi) 43920 East Liverpool (6.3 mi) 15050 Hookstown (7.4 mi) 43968 Wellsville (7.5 mi) 15059 Midland (7.6 mi) 43964 Toronto (8.8 mi) 15052 Industry (9.7 mi) 43932 Irondale (10.9 mi) 26062 Weirton (11.5 mi) 43930 Hammondsville (11.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,316
Population density	286 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	029

Geography
Land area	15.11 sq mi
Water area	1.23 sq mi
Latitude	40.5888
Longitude	-80.5602
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	304

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.4%	52.0%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	33.6%	33.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	6.0%	12.8%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.0%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

4,316

Population

286

People per sq mi

53.0

Median age

$53,760

Median household income

$31,372

Per capita income

$115,900

Median home value

$859

Median monthly rent

74.9%

Home ownership

15.4%

Poverty rate

4.4%

Unemployment

1,863

Housing units

20.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

108

5–9

125

122

10–14

141

15–19

100

20–24

116

206

25–34

238

152

35–44

175

296

45–54

340

233

55–59

268

103

60–64

118

393

65–74

453

128

75–84

148

85+

108

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	647	15.0%
18 and over	3,669	85.0%
65 and over	1,324	30.7%
Median age	53.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.5%

Two or more races 1.9%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,117	95.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	107	2.5%
Two or more races	82	1.9%
Asian	10	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.4%	52.0%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	33.6%	33.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	6.0%	12.8%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.0%	3.1%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 6.7%

$15k–$25k 5.6%

$25k–$35k 21.2%

$35k–$50k 10.1%

$50k–$75k 19.7%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 18.0%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k+ 0.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	6.7%
$15k–$25k	5.6%
$25k–$35k	21.2%
$35k–$50k	10.1%
$50k–$75k	19.7%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	18.0%
$150k–$200k	2.8%
$200k+	0.9%
Median income	$53,760

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.3%

$50k–$100k 29.2%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 9.2%

$200k–$300k 12.1%

$300k–$500k 16.4%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,900
Median rent / month	$859
Owner occupied	74.9%
Renter occupied	25.1%
Vacant	11.7%
Single-family detached	79.4%
Large apartment buildings	3.0%
Mobile homes	12.1%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.08

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	1.8%
1990–1999	12.1%
1980–1989	7.6%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	5.6%
1950–1959	10.0%
1940–1949	7.4%
1939 or earlier	38.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	8.1%
2 bedrooms	33.0%
3 bedrooms	40.9%
4 bedrooms	17.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.3%
1 vehicle	35.4%
2 vehicles	43.9%
3 or more	13.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	54.5%
Electricity	21.5%
Propane / LP gas	12.2%
Fuel oil	4.9%
Wood	4.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,007	47.7%
Cohabiting couple	94	4.4%
Male householder, no spouse	357	16.9%
Female householder, no spouse	655	31.0%
Households with children under 18	305	14.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	941	44.5%
Average household size	2.01

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.3%	12.9%
Married	57.7%	58.3%
Separated	1.1%	2.0%
Widowed	2.8%	12.3%
Divorced	16.1%	14.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.8%

Some HS, no diploma 6.9%

HS graduate 42.2%

Some college, no degree 17.4%

Associate's degree 7.8%

Bachelor's degree 18.6%

Graduate / professional 2.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.3%
Bachelor's or higher	20.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	113	17.8%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	436	68.6%
High school	69	10.8%
College / grad school	18	2.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.9%

Manufacturing 14.1%

Professional & management 13.5%

Transportation & utilities 9.6%

Retail trade 9.0%

Wholesale trade 6.2%

Construction 6.0%

Other services 5.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.0%

Public administration 4.3%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.1%
Service	14.9%
Sales & office	19.4%
Natural resources & construction	7.5%
Production & transportation	20.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.9%
Government	12.0%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.5%
Carpool	10.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.8%
Work from home	2.7%
Other means	4.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.1

Poverty

All people 15.4%

Under 18 years 32.8%

18 and over 12.2%

Married-couple families 7.9%

Female-led households 39.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.1%
Retirement income	23.4%
Supplemental Security	5.1%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.9%
High blood pressure	41.6%
High cholesterol	37.6%
Diabetes	14.3%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	37.3%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	12.1%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.4%
Binge drinking	12.0%
No physical activity	30.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	43.5%
Depression	27.4%
Fair or poor health	22.3%
Poor mental health	18.1%
Poor physical health	15.1%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.8%
Visited dentist	57.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	21.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	271	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.1%
Under 18	5.6%
18–64 years	9.7%
65 and over	46.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.2%
Public insurance	55.7%
No insurance	9.9%
Uninsured under 19	26.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,227	97.9%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,316	100.0%
Born in same state	4,316	100.0%
Born in different state	1,212	28.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	786	18.2%
Italian	686	15.9%
Arab	216	5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	79	1.8%
Irish	36	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.0%
Internet access	90.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26034

What city is ZIP code 26034 in?

ZIP code 26034 is primarily assigned to Chester, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26034 in?

ZIP code 26034 falls within Hancock County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26034 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 26034 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26034?

15% of residents in ZIP code 26034 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 26034 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 26034 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 26034?

The median home value in ZIP code 26034 is $115,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 26034 in?

ZIP code 26034 observes the EST timezone.