26159 ZIP Code — Paden City, WV

Wetzel County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26159 is located in Paden City, West Virginia, within Wetzel County. It covers approximately 1.02 square miles and serves a population of 2,723 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 26159

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 $91,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $55,179. 41% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 26159 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,723

population

1.02

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26159 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26159

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26159. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Paden City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

43946 Sardis (4.1 mi) 26175 Sistersville (5.6 mi) 26155 New Martinsville (8 mi) 26167 Reader (8.9 mi) 26149 Middlebourne (9.6 mi) 43915 Clarington (9.8 mi) 26055 Proctor (11.4 mi) 26146 Friendly (11.7 mi) 45767 New Matamoras (13.1 mi) 26320 Alma (13.4 mi) 26419 Pine Grove (13.9 mi) 43793 Woodsfield (14.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,723
Population density	2,670 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	103

Geography
Land area	1.02 sq mi
Water area	0.35 sq mi
Latitude	39.6082
Longitude	-80.9069
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	46.9%	54.9%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	41.6%	31.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	12.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.0%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,723

Population

2,670

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$55,179

Median household income

$28,162

Per capita income

$91,200

Median home value

$863

Median monthly rent

78.5%

Home ownership

12.6%

Poverty rate

5.1%

Unemployment

981

Housing units

14.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

130

Under 5

111

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

229

25–34

196

172

35–44

148

145

45–54

124

55–59

123

60–64

106

150

65–74

129

153

75–84

131

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	555	20.4%
18 and over	2,168	79.6%
65 and over	594	21.8%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.7%

Two or more races 1.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Other race 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	2,663	96.7%
Two or more races	46	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	32	1.2%
Other race	14	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.9%	54.9%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	41.6%	31.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	12.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.0%	3.1%

Under $10k 7.7%

$10k–$15k 2.0%

$15k–$25k 3.2%

$25k–$35k 9.3%

$35k–$50k 24.4%

$50k–$75k 21.1%

$75k–$100k 11.5%

$100k–$150k 13.2%

$150k–$200k 5.2%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.7%
$10k–$15k	2.0%
$15k–$25k	3.2%
$25k–$35k	9.3%
$35k–$50k	24.4%
$50k–$75k	21.1%
$75k–$100k	11.5%
$100k–$150k	13.2%
$150k–$200k	5.2%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$55,179

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.5%

$50k–$100k 44.5%

$100k–$150k 36.7%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k–$300k 4.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$91,200
Median rent / month	$863
Owner occupied	78.5%
Renter occupied	21.5%
Vacant	14.1%
Single-family detached	86.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	8.9%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.67

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	2.3%
1990–1999	3.3%
1980–1989	6.2%
1970–1979	10.4%
1960–1969	22.7%
1950–1959	21.3%
1940–1949	9.8%
1939 or earlier	23.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	36.2%
3 bedrooms	45.1%
4 bedrooms	15.2%
5+ bedrooms	0.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	35.0%
2 vehicles	37.1%
3 or more	21.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	92.3%
Electricity	6.4%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Wood	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	563	54.5%
Cohabiting couple	64	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	217	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	189	18.3%
Households with children under 18	250	24.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	386	37.4%
Average household size	2.64

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.1%	25.5%
Married	48.0%	56.4%
Separated	5.3%	0.6%
Widowed	2.5%	6.5%
Divorced	11.1%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 7.4%

HS graduate 41.4%

Some college, no degree 24.9%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 11.6%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.0%
Bachelor's or higher	14.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	52	11.4%
Kindergarten	18	3.9%
Elementary school	92	20.2%
High school	196	43.0%
College / grad school	98	21.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.0%

Transportation & utilities 11.7%

Agriculture & mining 11.3%

Public administration 10.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.7%

Manufacturing 9.8%

Retail trade 8.3%

Construction 6.4%

Finance & real estate 3.1%

Other services 2.5%

Professional & management 1.4%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.4%
Service	12.7%
Sales & office	12.6%
Natural resources & construction	11.4%
Production & transportation	31.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.5%
Government	24.6%
Self-employed	3.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.6%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	2.3%
Other means	6.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.9

Poverty

All people 12.6%

Under 18 years 14.6%

18 and over 12.1%

Married-couple families 3.6%

Female-led households 37.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.8%
Retirement income	40.1%
Supplemental Security	3.5%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.6%
High blood pressure	42.3%
High cholesterol	38.1%
Diabetes	14.2%
Heart disease	9.3%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	11.3%
Arthritis	37.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	11.9%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.0%
Binge drinking	12.0%
No physical activity	30.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.6%
Depression	26.8%
Fair or poor health	21.5%
Poor mental health	17.6%
Poor physical health	14.9%
No health insurance	11.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.0%
Visited dentist	55.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	20.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	275	12.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.7%
Under 18	4.7%
18–64 years	15.4%
65 and over	44.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.1%
Public insurance	44.9%
No insurance	6.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,482	91.1%
Spanish	25	1.0%
Other Indo-European	16	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	9	0.4%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,722	100.0%
Born in same state	2,722	100.0%
Born in different state	2,098	77.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	1	0.0%
Not a US citizen	1	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	197	7.2%
French	188	6.9%
Arab	185	6.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	9	0.3%
Polish	6	0.2%
English	4	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	87.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26159

What city is ZIP code 26159 in?

ZIP code 26159 is primarily assigned to Paden City, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26159 in?

ZIP code 26159 falls within Wetzel County, West Virginia.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 26159?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 26159 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 26159 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 26159 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 26159 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 26159?

The median home value in ZIP code 26159 is $91,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 26159 in?

ZIP code 26159 observes the EST timezone.