26440 ZIP Code — Thornton, WV

Taylor County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26440 is located in Thornton, West Virginia, within Taylor County. It covers approximately 40.21 square miles and serves a population of 1,119 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304/681.

About ZIP code 26440

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $157,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,500. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 36 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 22%.

Overall, ZIP code 26440 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,119

population

40.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26440 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26440

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26440. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Thornton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26405 Moatsville (6.4 mi) 26354 Grafton (7.7 mi) 26410 Newburg (8.2 mi) 26444 Tunnelton (8.3 mi) 26425 Rowlesburg (10.3 mi) 26347 Flemington (11.7 mi) 26416 Philippi (12.3 mi) 26547 Reedsville (14 mi) 26554 Fairmont (15.2 mi) 26537 Kingwood (16.6 mi) 26283 Montrose (17.5 mi) 26330 Bridgeport (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,119
Population density	28 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	091

Geography
Land area	40.21 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	39.3192
Longitude	-79.9080
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	48.4%	50.8%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	38.2%	30.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	9.5%	17.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.9%	1.7%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

1,119

Population

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$57,500

Median household income

$28,568

Per capita income

$157,500

Median home value

Median monthly rent

89.5%

Home ownership

10.7%

Poverty rate

9.4%

Unemployment

481

Housing units

7.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	366	32.7%
18 and over	753	67.3%
65 and over	187	16.7%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.1%

Two or more races 5.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4%

Other race 1.5%

Group	Count	%
White	1,039	89.1%
Two or more races	63	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	47	4%
Other race	17	1.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.4%	50.8%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	38.2%	30.2%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	9.5%	17.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.9%	1.7%	3.1%

Under $10k 5.0%

$10k–$15k 8.1%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$25k–$35k 18.1%

$35k–$50k 6.3%

$50k–$75k 14.2%

$75k–$100k 19.4%

$100k–$150k 10.3%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k+ 6.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.0%
$10k–$15k	8.1%
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$25k–$35k	18.1%
$35k–$50k	6.3%
$50k–$75k	14.2%
$75k–$100k	19.4%
$100k–$150k	10.3%
$150k–$200k	3.3%
$200k+	6.3%
Median income	$57,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 22.4%

$50k–$100k 10.0%

$100k–$150k 16.1%

$150k–$200k 8.8%

$200k–$300k 18.5%

$300k–$500k 19.3%

$500k–$1M 4.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$157,500
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	89.5%
Renter occupied	10.5%
Vacant	13.4%
Single-family detached	73.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.3%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	18.1%
1990–1999	23.1%
1980–1989	17.0%
1970–1979	8.5%
1960–1969	1.7%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	2.8%
1939 or earlier	12.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.4%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	43.7%
3 bedrooms	23.6%
4 bedrooms	19.5%
5+ bedrooms	9.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.9%
1 vehicle	27.7%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	29.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	8.5%
Electricity	42.4%
Propane / LP gas	22.9%
Fuel oil	6.6%
Wood	17.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	226	49.3%
Cohabiting couple	11	2.4%
Male householder, no spouse	128	27.9%
Female householder, no spouse	93	20.3%
Households with children under 18	151	33.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	147	32.1%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.9%	20.3%
Married	47.6%	57.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.6%	11.8%
Divorced	20.8%	10.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.9%

Some HS, no diploma 5.8%

HS graduate 49.6%

Some college, no degree 19.7%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 3.0%

Graduate / professional 4.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.3%
Bachelor's or higher	7.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	11	5.1%
Kindergarten	11	5.1%
Elementary school	100	46.7%
High school	77	36.0%
College / grad school	15	7.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.7%

Construction 15.9%

Public administration 14.4%

Other services 13.6%

Agriculture & mining 11.4%

Retail trade 10.1%

Professional & management 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Manufacturing 3.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.5%
Service	13.9%
Sales & office	20.5%
Natural resources & construction	28.8%
Production & transportation	9.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.0%
Government	16.9%
Self-employed	8.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.1%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	35.9

Poverty

All people 10.7%

Under 18 years 3.0%

18 and over 14.5%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.6%
Retirement income	22.3%
Supplemental Security	1.7%
Cash public assistance	9.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.5%
High blood pressure	43.3%
High cholesterol	37.3%
Diabetes	14.7%
Heart disease	9.5%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	11.6%
Arthritis	37.7%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	12.9%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	28.3%
Binge drinking	11.9%
No physical activity	32.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.5%
Depression	27.7%
Fair or poor health	24.6%
Poor mental health	19.0%
Poor physical health	16.5%
No health insurance	12.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.0%
Visited dentist	50.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	23.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	75	10.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.3%
Under 18	12.6%
18–64 years	19.3%
65 and over	50.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.9%
Public insurance	50.7%
No insurance	7.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	952	85.1%
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)	1,119	100.0%
Born in same state	1,110	99.2%
Born in different state	873	78.0%
Foreign born	9	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	407	36.4%
Italian	97	8.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	95	8.5%
English	13	1.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	89.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26440

What city is ZIP code 26440 in?

ZIP code 26440 is primarily assigned to Thornton, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26440 in?

ZIP code 26440 falls within Taylor County, West Virginia.

Is ZIP code 26440 family-oriented?

33% of residents in ZIP code 26440 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 26440?

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

Is ZIP code 26440 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 26440 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 26440 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 26440 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 26440 in?

ZIP code 26440 observes the EST timezone.