26161 ZIP Code — Petroleum, WV

Ritchie County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26161 is located in Petroleum, West Virginia, within Ritchie County. It covers approximately 49.32 square miles and serves a population of 526 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 26161

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. Median home value is $121,900.

Median household income is $54,375. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 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 (27%) compared to national benchmarks. 16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 27%.

Overall, ZIP code 26161 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and high homeownership.

526

population

49.32

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26161 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26161

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26161. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Petroleum	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	526
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	085

Geography
Land area	49.32 sq mi
Water area	0.29 sq mi
Latitude	39.1919
Longitude	-81.2363
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	45.0%	53.3%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	55.0%	31.4%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	12.5%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.8%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

526

Population

People per sq mi

56.0

Median age

$54,375

Median household income

$23,554

Per capita income

$121,900

Median home value

Median monthly rent

100.0%

Home ownership

20.9%

Poverty rate

12.0%

Unemployment

269

Housing units

8.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

25–34

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	131	24.9%
18 and over	395	75.1%
65 and over	83	15.8%
Median age	56.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	526	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.0%	53.3%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	55.0%	31.4%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	12.5%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.8%	3.1%

Under $10k 20.4%

$15k–$25k 8.0%

$25k–$35k 4.5%

$35k–$50k 8.5%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 28.4%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	20.4%
$15k–$25k	8.0%
$25k–$35k	4.5%
$35k–$50k	8.5%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	28.4%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
Median income	$54,375

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.4%

$50k–$100k 22.4%

$100k–$150k 13.9%

$150k–$200k 40.3%

$300k–$500k 8.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$121,900
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	100.0%
Renter occupied	0.0%
Vacant	25.3%
Single-family detached	45.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	52.4%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.9%
2000–2009	8.2%
1990–1999	18.6%
1980–1989	7.8%
1970–1979	29.0%
1960–1969	3.3%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	9.3%
1939 or earlier	14.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.1%
1 bedroom	20.4%
2 bedrooms	32.3%
3 bedrooms	32.7%
4 bedrooms	10.4%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	40.8%
2 vehicles	15.9%
3 or more	43.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	60.7%
Electricity	12.9%
Propane / LP gas	16.4%
Wood	10.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	89	44.3%
Cohabiting couple	41	20.4%
Male householder, no spouse	55	27.4%
Female householder, no spouse	16	8.0%
Households with children under 18	51	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	66	32.8%
Average household size	2.62

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	13.6%	9.7%
Married	40.2%	52.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	32.2%	8.2%
Divorced	14.1%	29.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 60.0%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 2.0%

Bachelor's degree 8.4%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.9%
Bachelor's or higher	8.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	32	37.6%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	46	54.1%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	7	8.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 28.6%

Construction 26.0%

Professional & management 22.7%

Finance & real estate 8.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.8%

Manufacturing 6.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	10.4%
Service	18.8%
Sales & office	30.5%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	26.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	62.3%
Government	24.0%
Self-employed	13.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	95.5%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.7

Poverty

All people 20.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 25.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	15.9%
Retirement income	41.8%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	5.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.6%
High blood pressure	47.2%
High cholesterol	43.0%
Diabetes	16.8%
Heart disease	10.9%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	11.8%
Arthritis	40.5%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	14.9%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.4%
Binge drinking	11.2%
No physical activity	35.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.4%
Depression	27.6%
Fair or poor health	26.7%
Poor mental health	18.7%
Poor physical health	17.6%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.3%
Visited dentist	49.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	25.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	33	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	27.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	24.4%
65 and over	80.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	34.6%
Public insurance	52.9%
No insurance	15.6%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	473	89.9%
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)	526	100.0%
Born in same state	526	100.0%
Born in different state	463	88.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	133	25.3%
French	129	24.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	9	1.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.2%
Internet access	81.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26161

What city is ZIP code 26161 in?

ZIP code 26161 is primarily assigned to Petroleum, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26161 in?

ZIP code 26161 falls within Ritchie County, West Virginia.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 26161?

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

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26161?

21% of residents in ZIP code 26161 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 26161?

The median home value in ZIP code 26161 is $121,900.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 26161?

Health data for ZIP code 26161 shows elevated rates of diabetes (17%) and smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 26161 in?

ZIP code 26161 observes the EST timezone.