26638 ZIP Code — Shock, WV

Gilmer County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26638 is located in Shock, West Virginia, within Gilmer County. It covers approximately 20.77 square miles and serves a population of 300 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304/681.

About ZIP code 26638

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $88,043. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 59% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 44%.

Overall, ZIP code 26638 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

300

population

20.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26638 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26638

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26638. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shock	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	300
Population density	14 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	20.77 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	38.7689
Longitude	-81.0027
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	54.9%	59.5%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	45.1%	31.1%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	9.1%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.3%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

300

Population

People per sq mi

54.4

Median age

$88,043

Median household income

$19,515

Per capita income

Median home value

Median monthly rent

88.4%

Home ownership

24.7%

Poverty rate

38.7%

Unemployment

Housing units

20.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

10–14

15–19

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	41	13.7%
18 and over	259	86.3%
65 and over	89	29.7%
Median age	54.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	300	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.9%	59.5%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	45.1%	31.1%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	0.0%	9.1%	15.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.3%	3.1%

$15k–$25k 20.9%

$50k–$75k 23.3%

$75k–$100k 38.4%

$100k–$150k 17.4%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	20.9%
$50k–$75k	23.3%
$75k–$100k	38.4%
$100k–$150k	17.4%
Median income	$88,043

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 30.3%

$50k–$100k 18.4%

$100k–$150k 21.1%

$150k–$200k 19.7%

$200k–$300k 10.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$0
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	88.4%
Renter occupied	11.6%
Vacant	0.0%
Single-family detached	61.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	38.4%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	3.08

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	33.7%
2000–2009	16.3%
1990–1999	11.6%
1980–1989	26.7%
1970–1979	11.6%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	11.6%
3 bedrooms	65.1%
4 bedrooms	23.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	11.6%
2 vehicles	29.1%
3 or more	59.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	74.4%
Electricity	25.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	58	67.4%
Cohabiting couple	28	32.6%
Male householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Female householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Households with children under 18	14	16.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	51	59.3%
Average household size	3.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.3%	6.3%
Married	28.4%	70.0%
Separated	25.4%	0.0%
Widowed	5.0%	0.0%
Divorced	4.0%	23.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.9%

Some HS, no diploma 4.4%

HS graduate 64.6%

Some college, no degree 2.6%

Associate's degree 0.0%

Bachelor's degree 5.7%

Graduate / professional 14.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.8%
Bachelor's or higher	20.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	0	0.0%
High school	41	57.7%
College / grad school	30	42.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 28.3%

Other services 26.1%

Transportation & utilities 23.9%

Professional & management 21.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	76.1%
Service	0.0%
Sales & office	0.0%
Natural resources & construction	0.0%
Production & transportation	23.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.7%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	28.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	21.7%
Carpool	50.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	28.3%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.8

Poverty

All people 24.7%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 28.6%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	59.3%
Retirement income	50.0%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	44.7%
High cholesterol	39.0%
Diabetes	14.7%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	11.3%
Arthritis	38.2%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	12.8%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.3%
Binge drinking	11.8%
No physical activity	31.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.2%
Depression	27.5%
Fair or poor health	23.1%
Poor mental health	18.0%
Poor physical health	15.8%
No health insurance	11.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.5%
Visited dentist	54.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	21.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	32	12.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	43.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	55.9%
65 and over	40.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.0%
Public insurance	55.3%
No insurance	3.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	300	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)	300	100.0%
Born in same state	300	100.0%
Born in different state	269	89.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	102	34%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	41	13.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	28.7%
Internet access	90.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26638

What city is ZIP code 26638 in?

ZIP code 26638 is primarily assigned to Shock, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26638 in?

ZIP code 26638 falls within Gilmer County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26638 have a large retiree population?

59% of households in ZIP code 26638 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 26638 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 26638 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26638?

25% of residents in ZIP code 26638 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 26638 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 26638 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 26638 in?

ZIP code 26638 observes the EST timezone.