26444 ZIP Code — Tunnelton, WV

Preston County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26444 is located in Tunnelton, West Virginia, within Preston County. It covers approximately 63.14 square miles and serves a population of 3,501 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 26444

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $97,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $51,940. SNAP benefit usage at 28% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 55% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 45 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 26444 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

3,501

population

63.14

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26444 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26444

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26444. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tunnelton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26410 Newburg (4.5 mi) 26425 Rowlesburg (5.2 mi) 26440 Thornton (8.3 mi) 26537 Kingwood (10.8 mi) 26547 Reedsville (11 mi) 26705 Aurora (11.4 mi) 26764 Terra Alta (11.6 mi) 26405 Moatsville (12 mi) 26716 Eglon (14.5 mi) 26354 Grafton (15.2 mi) 26542 Masontown (15.7 mi) 26287 Parsons (15.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,501
Population density	55 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	63.14 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	39.3581
Longitude	-79.7612
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	53.1%	48.6%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	29.8%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	19.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.4%	2.3%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

3,501

Population

People per sq mi

46.3

Median age

$51,940

Median household income

$28,434

Per capita income

$97,500

Median home value

$786

Median monthly rent

88.0%

Home ownership

11.7%

Poverty rate

5.9%

Unemployment

1,566

Housing units

10.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

134

5–9

130

131

10–14

128

103

15–19

101

20–24

178

25–34

173

192

35–44

187

256

45–54

250

156

55–59

152

60–64

293

65–74

285

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	738	21.1%
18 and over	2,763	78.9%
65 and over	889	25.4%
Median age	46.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.2%

Two or more races 2.5%

Black or African American 1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.1%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,373	96.2%
Two or more races	89	2.5%
Black or African American	35	1%
Hispanic or Latino	4	0.1%
Other race	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.1%	48.6%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	29.8%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	19.3%	15.8%
Over $200k	3.4%	2.3%	3.1%

Under $10k 8.4%

$10k–$15k 4.6%

$15k–$25k 11.7%

$25k–$35k 7.8%

$35k–$50k 14.3%

$50k–$75k 23.1%

$75k–$100k 7.9%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 6.0%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.4%
$10k–$15k	4.6%
$15k–$25k	11.7%
$25k–$35k	7.8%
$35k–$50k	14.3%
$50k–$75k	23.1%
$75k–$100k	7.9%
$100k–$150k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	6.0%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$51,940

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 26.4%

$50k–$100k 24.2%

$100k–$150k 18.3%

$150k–$200k 16.5%

$200k–$300k 7.9%

$300k–$500k 1.8%

$500k–$1M 4.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$97,500
Median rent / month	$786
Owner occupied	88.0%
Renter occupied	12.0%
Vacant	19.5%
Single-family detached	73.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	26.8%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.64

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	12.2%
2000–2009	10.1%
1990–1999	17.5%
1980–1989	15.5%
1970–1979	19.0%
1960–1969	4.7%
1950–1959	4.3%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	14.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	4.1%
2 bedrooms	10.9%
3 bedrooms	68.6%
4 bedrooms	15.1%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.3%
1 vehicle	26.1%
2 vehicles	34.4%
3 or more	26.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.3%
Electricity	25.3%
Propane / LP gas	13.5%
Fuel oil	20.4%
Wood	15.5%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	614	44.0%
Cohabiting couple	119	8.5%
Male householder, no spouse	182	13.0%
Female householder, no spouse	481	34.5%
Households with children under 18	360	25.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	739	52.9%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.9%	12.0%
Married	53.1%	50.2%
Separated	2.2%	0.3%
Widowed	5.5%	31.2%
Divorced	13.2%	6.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.8%

Some HS, no diploma 10.2%

HS graduate 47.6%

Some college, no degree 15.1%

Associate's degree 5.2%

Bachelor's degree 6.9%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	78.0%
Bachelor's or higher	10.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	4.4%
Kindergarten	38	4.9%
Elementary school	440	56.3%
High school	150	19.2%
College / grad school	119	15.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.6%

Retail trade 14.2%

Agriculture & mining 9.5%

Construction 8.9%

Other services 6.8%

Professional & management 5.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Public administration 4.7%

Wholesale trade 4.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.3%

Manufacturing 2.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	15.6%
Service	31.4%
Sales & office	16.5%
Natural resources & construction	20.1%
Production & transportation	16.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.4%
Government	11.7%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	67.9%
Carpool	22.1%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	8.7%
Other means	0.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	45.2

Poverty

All people 11.7%

Under 18 years 6.6%

18 and over 12.9%

Married-couple families 8.5%

Female-led households 6.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.6%
Retirement income	26.8%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	5.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.7%
High blood pressure	41.3%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	13.4%
Heart disease	8.7%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	36.6%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	11.7%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.0%
Binge drinking	12.5%
No physical activity	29.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.0%
Depression	27.2%
Fair or poor health	21.3%
Poor mental health	18.4%
Poor physical health	14.7%
No health insurance	11.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.5%
Visited dentist	54.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	21.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	205	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.9%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	14.5%
65 and over	46.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.4%
Public insurance	49.2%
No insurance	5.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,396	97.0%
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)	3,500	100.0%
Born in same state	3,500	100.0%
Born in different state	3,003	85.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	1	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,149	32.8%
Italian	666	19%
French	167	4.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	40	1.1%
English	12	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	83.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26444

What city is ZIP code 26444 in?

ZIP code 26444 is primarily assigned to Tunnelton, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26444 in?

ZIP code 26444 falls within Preston County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26444 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 26444 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 26444 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 26444 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 26444?

10% 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 26444 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 26444 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 26444 in?

ZIP code 26444 observes the EST timezone.