26206 ZIP Code — Cowen, WV

Webster County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26206 is located in Cowen, West Virginia, within Webster County. It covers approximately 112.10 square miles and serves a population of 2,845 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 681/304.

About ZIP code 26206

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $85,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $48,625. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 52% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (17%), smoking (29%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 26206 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,845

population

112.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26206 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26206

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26206. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cowen	Acceptable
Cowen	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26266 Upperglade (2.3 mi) 26288 Webster Springs (6.3 mi) 26208 Camden On Gauley (8 mi) 26203 Erbacon (9.8 mi) 26298 Bergoo (10.1 mi) 26217 Diana (10.1 mi) 26205 Craigsville (11.1 mi) 26691 Tioga (12.1 mi) 26660 Calvin (15.3 mi) 26629 Little Birch (15.7 mi) 26202 Fenwick (15.9 mi) 26222 Hacker Valley (16 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,845
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	101

Geography
Land area	112.10 sq mi
Water area	0.73 sq mi
Latitude	38.4399
Longitude	-80.4619
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	681/304

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	70.8%	66.4%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	22.2%	23.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	7.0%	8.4%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.3%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,845

Population

People per sq mi

49.3

Median age

$48,625

Median household income

$23,454

Per capita income

$85,500

Median home value

$620

Median monthly rent

82.0%

Home ownership

10.1%

Poverty rate

11.8%

Unemployment

1,070

Housing units

7.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

119

Under 5

108

5–9

107

10–14

15–19

20–24

161

25–34

145

123

35–44

111

162

45–54

147

55–59

147

60–64

132

255

65–74

230

114

75–84

103

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	599	21.1%
18 and over	2,246	78.9%
65 and over	775	27.2%
Median age	49.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.4%

Two or more races 6.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.8%

Other race 1.7%

Black or African American 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	2,583	87.4%
Two or more races	194	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	111	3.8%
Other race	50	1.7%
Black or African American	18	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	70.8%	66.4%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	22.2%	23.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	7.0%	8.4%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.3%	3.1%

Under $10k 3.8%

$10k–$15k 7.9%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 14.4%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 22.6%

$75k–$100k 11.3%

$100k–$150k 12.3%

$150k–$200k 1.6%

$200k+ 1.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.8%
$10k–$15k	7.9%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	14.4%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	22.6%
$75k–$100k	11.3%
$100k–$150k	12.3%
$150k–$200k	1.6%
$200k+	1.6%
Median income	$48,625

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 30.5%

$50k–$100k 28.8%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 19.2%

$200k–$300k 9.2%

$300k–$500k 1.0%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$85,500
Median rent / month	$620
Owner occupied	82.0%
Renter occupied	18.0%
Vacant	22.0%
Single-family detached	73.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	20.6%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.89

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	16.1%
1990–1999	11.6%
1980–1989	10.4%
1970–1979	22.2%
1960–1969	7.1%
1950–1959	12.9%
1940–1949	4.7%
1939 or earlier	11.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	5.5%
2 bedrooms	19.8%
3 bedrooms	51.0%
4 bedrooms	15.3%
5+ bedrooms	6.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.4%
1 vehicle	29.8%
2 vehicles	37.2%
3 or more	23.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.6%
Electricity	59.6%
Propane / LP gas	9.9%
Fuel oil	5.7%
Wood	20.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	561	57.8%
Cohabiting couple	15	1.5%
Male householder, no spouse	231	23.8%
Female householder, no spouse	164	16.9%
Households with children under 18	197	20.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	441	45.4%
Average household size	2.87

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	17.0%	16.5%
Married	59.7%	58.7%
Separated	4.6%	1.3%
Widowed	2.6%	9.9%
Divorced	16.0%	13.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.9%

Some HS, no diploma 8.7%

HS graduate 49.2%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 3.1%

Bachelor's degree 5.9%

Graduate / professional 1.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.4%
Bachelor's or higher	7.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	41	9.1%
Kindergarten	35	7.8%
Elementary school	256	56.9%
High school	82	18.2%
College / grad school	36	8.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.1%

Agriculture & mining 20.7%

Manufacturing 13.7%

Retail trade 9.7%

Transportation & utilities 7.3%

Finance & real estate 4.8%

Construction 4.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.7%

Other services 2.3%

Information 0.4%

Public administration 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.1%
Service	18.5%
Sales & office	3.5%
Natural resources & construction	27.4%
Production & transportation	29.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.0%
Government	9.6%
Self-employed	1.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.0%
Carpool	13.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.5%
Work from home	3.0%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.8

Poverty

All people 10.1%

Under 18 years 2.0%

18 and over 12.2%

Married-couple families 3.9%

Female-led households 32.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.8%
Retirement income	34.9%
Supplemental Security	7.4%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.7%
High blood pressure	46.2%
High cholesterol	38.9%
Diabetes	16.5%
Heart disease	10.6%
Stroke	4.9%
Asthma	12.6%
Arthritis	40.5%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	15.4%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	29.4%
Binge drinking	11.0%
No physical activity	35.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.2%
Depression	29.6%
Fair or poor health	28.7%
Poor mental health	20.2%
Poor physical health	18.9%
No health insurance	13.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.4%
Visited dentist	45.8%
Cholesterol screening	88.1%
Teeth loss	28.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	216	9.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.1%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	16.8%
65 and over	58.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	44.7%
Public insurance	65.3%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	11.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,618	92.0%
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)	2,843	99.9%
Born in same state	2,793	98.2%
Born in different state	2,438	85.7%
Foreign born	50	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	2	0.1%
Not a US citizen	2	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	359	12.6%
French	242	8.5%
Arab	140	4.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	49	1.7%
German	10	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.1%
Internet access	78.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26206

What city is ZIP code 26206 in?

ZIP code 26206 is primarily assigned to Cowen, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26206 in?

ZIP code 26206 falls within Webster County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26206 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 26206 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 26206 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 26206 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 26206?

8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 26206 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 26206 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 26206 in?

ZIP code 26206 observes the EST timezone.