26581 ZIP Code — Littleton, WV

Wetzel County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26581 is located in Littleton, West Virginia, within Wetzel County. It covers approximately 48.57 square miles and serves a population of 979 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304/681.

About ZIP code 26581

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Owner-occupancy is high at 93%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,007. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. 58% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 11% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 34%.

Overall, ZIP code 26581 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

979

population

48.57

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26581 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26581

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26581. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Littleton	Acceptable
Littleton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26419 Pine Grove (7.2 mi) 26575 Hundred (7.7 mi) 26055 Proctor (8 mi) 26155 New Martinsville (8.3 mi) 26033 Cameron (10.2 mi) 26167 Reader (10.4 mi) 15310 Aleppo (11.7 mi) 26437 Smithfield (12.1 mi) 15352 New Freeport (12.5 mi) 26377 Jacksonburg (13.2 mi) 26348 Folsom (15 mi) 26041 Moundsville (15.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	979
Population density	20 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	103

Geography
Land area	48.57 sq mi
Water area	0.09 sq mi
Latitude	39.6701
Longitude	-80.6143
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	304/681

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.6%	54.9%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	47.3%	31.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	12.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.0%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

979

Population

People per sq mi

57.1

Median age

$56,007

Median household income

$29,346

Per capita income

Median home value

Median monthly rent

93.0%

Home ownership

23.0%

Poverty rate

15.1%

Unemployment

530

Housing units

11.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	157	16.0%
18 and over	822	84.0%
65 and over	304	31.1%
Median age	57.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.8%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

Two or more races 2.6%

Group	Count	%
White	953	94.8%
Hispanic or Latino	26	2.6%
Two or more races	26	2.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.6%	54.9%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	47.3%	31.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	12.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.0%	3.1%

Under $10k 5.7%

$15k–$25k 10.1%

$25k–$35k 19.8%

$35k–$50k 7.5%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 9.0%

$100k–$150k 28.4%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.7%
$15k–$25k	10.1%
$25k–$35k	19.8%
$35k–$50k	7.5%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	9.0%
$100k–$150k	28.4%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$56,007

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 36.0%

$50k–$100k 15.2%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 10.5%

$200k–$300k 19.4%

$300k–$500k 2.8%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$0
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	93.0%
Renter occupied	7.0%
Vacant	30.3%
Single-family detached	85.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	14.2%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.47

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	2.9%
1990–1999	7.5%
1980–1989	7.4%
1970–1979	11.8%
1960–1969	4.5%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	13.1%
1939 or earlier	45.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	12.2%
2 bedrooms	24.2%
3 bedrooms	45.6%
4 bedrooms	14.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	48.7%
2 vehicles	27.8%
3 or more	23.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	69.1%
Electricity	3.6%
Propane / LP gas	8.2%
Fuel oil	5.7%
Wood	13.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	145	37.4%
Cohabiting couple	25	6.4%
Male householder, no spouse	105	27.1%
Female householder, no spouse	113	29.1%
Households with children under 18	80	20.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	248	63.9%
Average household size	2.52

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.9%	20.3%
Married	39.1%	39.5%
Separated	0.0%	3.1%
Widowed	0.0%	34.0%
Divorced	28.0%	3.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.6%

Some HS, no diploma 12.2%

HS graduate 59.5%

Some college, no degree 5.7%

Associate's degree 0.0%

Bachelor's degree 9.3%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	76.2%
Bachelor's or higher	11.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	15	9.8%
Elementary school	93	60.8%
High school	17	11.1%
College / grad school	28	18.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 40.2%

Transportation & utilities 22.4%

Manufacturing 18.5%

Education & healthcare 11.4%

Retail trade 5.1%

Public administration 2.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.4%
Service	13.8%
Sales & office	0.0%
Natural resources & construction	36.6%
Production & transportation	23.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.9%
Government	18.1%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.6%
Carpool	26.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.4

Poverty

All people 23.0%

Under 18 years 23.9%

18 and over 22.9%

Married-couple families 15.2%

Female-led households 51.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	58.0%
Retirement income	28.9%
Supplemental Security	12.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.5%
High blood pressure	43.8%
High cholesterol	37.8%
Diabetes	15.8%
Heart disease	10.1%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	11.8%
Arthritis	38.3%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	14.3%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	28.0%
Binge drinking	11.7%
No physical activity	35.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.9%
Depression	27.8%
Fair or poor health	26.4%
Poor mental health	18.9%
Poor physical health	17.5%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.6%
Visited dentist	48.8%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	26.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	48	5.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	33.9%
Under 18	10.8%
18–64 years	23.0%
65 and over	64.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.8%
Public insurance	55.1%
No insurance	4.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	947	96.7%
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)	979	100.0%
Born in same state	979	100.0%
Born in different state	735	75.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	244	24.9%
French	93	9.5%
Italian	92	9.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	8	0.8%
English	5	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.6%
Internet access	79.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26581

What city is ZIP code 26581 in?

ZIP code 26581 is primarily assigned to Littleton, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26581 in?

ZIP code 26581 falls within Wetzel County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26581 have a large retiree population?

58% of households in ZIP code 26581 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 26581 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 26581 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 26581 mostly owner-occupied?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 26581 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26581?

23% of residents in ZIP code 26581 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 26581 in?

ZIP code 26581 observes the EST timezone.