26542 ZIP Code — Masontown, WV

Preston County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26542 is located in Masontown, West Virginia, within Preston County. It covers approximately 35.83 square miles and serves a population of 2,039 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 681.

About ZIP code 26542

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $141,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $54,924. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 16% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 26542 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,039

population

35.83

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26542 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26542

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26542. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Masontown	Acceptable
Masontown	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26547 Reedsville (5.3 mi) 26508 Morgantown (5.7 mi) 26537 Kingwood (6.2 mi) 26525 Bruceton Mills (8.5 mi) 26505 Morgantown (9.3 mi) 26506 Morgantown (9.8 mi) 26410 Newburg (12.1 mi) 26541 Maidsville (12.7 mi) 15474 Point Marion (12.9 mi) 26764 Terra Alta (13.6 mi) 15440 Gibbon Glade (14.2 mi) 15478 Smithfield (14.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,039
Population density	57 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	35.83 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	39.5844
Longitude	-79.7933
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	681

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.1%	48.6%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	29.8%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	13.5%	19.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.2%	2.3%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,039

Population

People per sq mi

45.3

Median age

$54,924

Median household income

$27,148

Per capita income

$141,500

Median home value

$1,063

Median monthly rent

79.7%

Home ownership

11.4%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

841

Housing units

21.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

234

25–34

209

35–44

111

45–54

100

55–59

60–64

183

65–74

164

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	398	19.5%
18 and over	1,641	80.5%
65 and over	513	25.2%
Median age	45.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.8%

Two or more races 5.3%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Other race 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	1,915	90.8%
Two or more races	112	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	71	3.4%
Other race	12	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.1%	48.6%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	29.8%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	13.5%	19.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.2%	2.3%	3.1%

Under $10k 7.5%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 5.2%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 18.1%

$50k–$75k 22.1%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k+ 3.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.5%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	5.2%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	18.1%
$50k–$75k	22.1%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	10.7%
$150k–$200k	3.9%
$200k+	3.1%
Median income	$54,924

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 19.4%

$50k–$100k 3.7%

$100k–$150k 30.1%

$150k–$200k 21.2%

$200k–$300k 12.4%

$300k–$500k 11.3%

$500k–$1M 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$141,500
Median rent / month	$1,063
Owner occupied	79.7%
Renter occupied	20.3%
Vacant	16.8%
Single-family detached	67.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	24.7%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.31

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	7.5%
2000–2009	15.0%
1990–1999	17.6%
1980–1989	18.1%
1970–1979	9.6%
1960–1969	5.0%
1950–1959	8.2%
1940–1949	5.9%
1939 or earlier	12.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	7.6%
2 bedrooms	22.5%
3 bedrooms	56.8%
4 bedrooms	11.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.3%
1 vehicle	17.7%
2 vehicles	42.5%
3 or more	33.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	17.0%
Electricity	30.6%
Propane / LP gas	14.6%
Fuel oil	21.3%
Wood	14.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	488	58.0%
Cohabiting couple	84	10.0%
Male householder, no spouse	180	21.4%
Female householder, no spouse	90	10.7%
Households with children under 18	285	33.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	353	41.9%
Average household size	2.42

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.6%	26.9%
Married	55.1%	60.3%
Separated	1.7%	0.0%
Widowed	4.7%	4.0%
Divorced	5.8%	8.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 52.2%

Some college, no degree 13.5%

Associate's degree 2.6%

Bachelor's degree 16.2%

Graduate / professional 5.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.8%
Bachelor's or higher	21.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	5.2%
Kindergarten	17	5.9%
Elementary school	215	74.9%
High school	20	7.0%
College / grad school	20	7.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 18.7%

Transportation & utilities 18.3%

Education & healthcare 16.6%

Manufacturing 9.9%

Construction 8.2%

Agriculture & mining 6.0%

Professional & management 5.2%

Wholesale trade 4.6%

Other services 3.6%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.9%

Public administration 1.7%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.4%
Service	11.0%
Sales & office	27.0%
Natural resources & construction	14.0%
Production & transportation	26.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.8%
Government	14.2%
Self-employed	1.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.0%
Carpool	17.5%
Public transit	3.2%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	4.4%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.5

Poverty

All people 11.4%

Under 18 years 6.5%

18 and over 12.6%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.1%
Retirement income	35.5%
Supplemental Security	7.4%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.1%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	33.2%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	34.3%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	9.8%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	25.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.6%
Depression	26.2%
Fair or poor health	17.9%
Poor mental health	17.2%
Poor physical health	12.9%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.1%
Visited dentist	59.9%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	17.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	257	15.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	44.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.4%
Public insurance	52.2%
No insurance	7.9%
Uninsured under 19	1.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,909	93.6%
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)	2,039	100.0%
Born in same state	2,027	99.4%
Born in different state	1,675	82.1%
Foreign born	12	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	462	22.7%
Italian	429	21%
French	254	12.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	60	2.9%
Irish	22	1.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.3%
Internet access	84.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26542

What city is ZIP code 26542 in?

ZIP code 26542 is primarily assigned to Masontown, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26542 in?

ZIP code 26542 falls within Preston County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26542 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 26542 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 26542 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 26542 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 26542 have a large veteran population?

16% of civilians in ZIP code 26542 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 26542?

The median home value in ZIP code 26542 is $141,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 26542 in?

ZIP code 26542 observes the EST timezone.