24872 ZIP Code — Panther, WV

Mcdowell County, West Virginia

ZIP code 24872 is located in Panther, West Virginia, within Mcdowell County. It covers approximately 32.98 square miles and serves a population of 597 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 24872

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $31,875. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 66% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (52%), diabetes (22%), smoking (46%), poor mental health (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 46%.

Overall, ZIP code 24872 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

597

population

32.98

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

24872 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 24872

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 24872. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Panther	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

24844 Iaeger (4.9 mi) 25608 Baisden (7.3 mi) 24620 Hurley (7.5 mi) 25651 Wharncliffe (7.9 mi) 24839 Hanover (7.9 mi) 41547 Majestic (9.1 mi) 24850 Jolo (9.3 mi) 24879 Raysal (9.6 mi) 25621 Gilbert (10.3 mi) 24634 Pilgrims Knob (10.9 mi) 25650 Verner (12.7 mi) 24882 Simon (13.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	597
Population density	18 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	047

Geography
Land area	32.98 sq mi
Water area	0.22 sq mi
Latitude	37.4578
Longitude	-81.8963
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	95.8%	76.7%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	4.2%	17.5%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	5.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.6%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

597

Population

People per sq mi

51.8

Median age

$31,875

Median household income

$19,968

Per capita income

Median home value

Median monthly rent

68.2%

Home ownership

27.6%

Poverty rate

13.8%

Unemployment

292

Housing units

0.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

124

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	20	3.4%
18 and over	577	96.6%
65 and over	199	33.3%
Median age	51.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	597	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	95.8%	76.7%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	4.2%	17.5%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	5.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.6%	3.1%

Under $10k 6.2%

$10k–$15k 14.6%

$25k–$35k 56.4%

$35k–$50k 4.7%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.2%
$10k–$15k	14.6%
$25k–$35k	56.4%
$35k–$50k	4.7%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
Median income	$31,875

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 54.8%

$50k–$100k 25.1%

$150k–$200k 16.4%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$0
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	68.2%
Renter occupied	31.8%
Vacant	18.5%
Single-family detached	66.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	33.2%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	1.91

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	3.3%
1990–1999	25.4%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	27.4%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	30.7%
1939 or earlier	4.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.4%
2 bedrooms	22.3%
3 bedrooms	63.5%
4 bedrooms	5.8%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.6%
1 vehicle	45.5%
2 vehicles	20.6%
3 or more	28.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	88.8%
Wood	11.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	68	21.2%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	83	25.9%
Female householder, no spouse	170	53.0%
Households with children under 18	19	5.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	178	55.5%
Average household size	1.86

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.9%	34.1%
Married	27.7%	22.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	7.8%	17.1%
Divorced	21.6%	26.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 21.9%

Some HS, no diploma 37.2%

HS graduate 37.2%

Some college, no degree 3.8%

Associate's degree 0.0%

Bachelor's degree 0.0%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	40.9%
Bachelor's or higher	0.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	20	23.3%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	0	0.0%
High school	47	54.7%
College / grad school	19	22.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 32.1%

Finance & real estate 25.9%

Construction 23.5%

Manufacturing 18.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.9%
Service	0.0%
Sales & office	23.5%
Natural resources & construction	32.1%
Production & transportation	18.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	100.0%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	42.0%
Carpool	58.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	0.0

Poverty

All people 27.6%

Under 18 years 100.0%

18 and over 25.1%

Married-couple families 14.7%

Female-led households 25.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	65.7%
Retirement income	10.3%
Supplemental Security	23.1%
Cash public assistance	3.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	52.3%
High blood pressure	50.1%
High cholesterol	42.0%
Diabetes	21.8%
Heart disease	13.0%
Stroke	6.9%
Asthma	16.0%
Arthritis	44.4%
Kidney disease	5.4%
Pulmonary disease	24.5%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	46.4%
Binge drinking	10.4%
No physical activity	50.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	46.7%
Depression	36.3%
Fair or poor health	44.2%
Poor mental health	26.0%
Poor physical health	27.8%
No health insurance	20.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.7%
Visited dentist	27.1%
Cholesterol screening	82.2%
Teeth loss	47.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	0	0.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	46.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	40.2%
65 and over	62.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	38.0%
Public insurance	70.2%
No insurance	0.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	597	100.0%
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)	597	100.0%
Born in same state	597	100.0%
Born in different state	552	92.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	134	22.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	11	1.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	53.8%
Internet access	90.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 24872

What city is ZIP code 24872 in?

ZIP code 24872 is primarily assigned to Panther, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 24872 in?

ZIP code 24872 falls within Mcdowell County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 24872 have a large retiree population?

66% of households in ZIP code 24872 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 24872 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 24872 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 24872?

28% of residents in ZIP code 24872 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 24872?

Health data for ZIP code 24872 shows elevated rates of obesity (52%) and diabetes (22%) and smoking (46%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 24872 in?

ZIP code 24872 observes the EST timezone.