26456 ZIP Code — West Union, WV

Doddridge County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26456 is located in West Union, West Virginia, within Doddridge County. It covers approximately 142.01 square miles and serves a population of 3,156 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304/681.

About ZIP code 26456

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $151,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($58,875) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

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

Overall, ZIP code 26456 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,156

population

142.01

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26456 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26456

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26456. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Union	Acceptable
West Union	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26411 New Milton (5.3 mi) 26421 Pullman (6.9 mi) 26415 Pennsboro (8.9 mi) 26443 Troy (9.9 mi) 26325 Auburn (10.7 mi) 26426 Salem (11.6 mi) 26321 Alum Bridge (12.6 mi) 26362 Harrisville (13.3 mi) 26338 Camden (13.9 mi) 26320 Alma (14 mi) 26346 Ellenboro (14.5 mi) 26178 Smithville (17.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,156
Population density	22 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	142.01 sq mi
Water area	0.70 sq mi
Latitude	39.2232
Longitude	-80.7985
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	49.9%	52.3%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	19.3%	20.7%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	18.9%	15.8%
Over $200k	9.5%	8.1%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

3,156

Population

People per sq mi

52.6

Median age

$58,875

Median household income

$34,871

Per capita income

$151,500

Median home value

$366

Median monthly rent

90.2%

Home ownership

20.2%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

1,606

Housing units

15.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

185

15–19

193

20–24

110

25–34

115

148

35–44

155

144

45–54

150

253

55–59

266

60–64

236

65–74

248

152

75–84

160

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	480	15.2%
18 and over	2,676	84.8%
65 and over	851	27.0%
Median age	52.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97.7%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,091	97.7%
Two or more races	59	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	8	0.3%
Black or African American	6	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.9%	52.3%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	19.3%	20.7%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	18.9%	15.8%
Over $200k	9.5%	8.1%	3.1%

Under $10k 1.7%

$10k–$15k 9.4%

$15k–$25k 13.5%

$25k–$35k 7.1%

$35k–$50k 14.3%

$50k–$75k 10.7%

$75k–$100k 11.3%

$100k–$150k 18.8%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k+ 11.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.7%
$10k–$15k	9.4%
$15k–$25k	13.5%
$25k–$35k	7.1%
$35k–$50k	14.3%
$50k–$75k	10.7%
$75k–$100k	11.3%
$100k–$150k	18.8%
$150k–$200k	2.1%
$200k+	11.1%
Median income	$58,875

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 16.2%

$50k–$100k 22.0%

$100k–$150k 10.6%

$150k–$200k 23.3%

$200k–$300k 20.8%

$300k–$500k 3.1%

$1M+ 4.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$151,500
Median rent / month	$366
Owner occupied	90.2%
Renter occupied	9.8%
Vacant	33.2%
Single-family detached	80.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	16.2%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.74

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.7%
2000–2009	4.8%
1990–1999	15.4%
1980–1989	7.6%
1970–1979	12.6%
1960–1969	7.1%
1950–1959	10.1%
1940–1949	4.9%
1939 or earlier	35.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.3%
1 bedroom	5.0%
2 bedrooms	30.8%
3 bedrooms	41.4%
4 bedrooms	17.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.3%
1 vehicle	31.2%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	23.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	83.4%
Electricity	11.8%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Wood	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	693	60.3%
Cohabiting couple	30	2.6%
Male householder, no spouse	218	19.0%
Female householder, no spouse	208	18.1%
Households with children under 18	218	19.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	554	48.2%
Average household size	2.75

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.1%	24.5%
Married	51.2%	51.3%
Separated	2.3%	0.0%
Widowed	4.9%	14.4%
Divorced	14.6%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.0%

Some HS, no diploma 14.6%

HS graduate 45.1%

Some college, no degree 12.2%

Associate's degree 5.8%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 4.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	78.4%
Bachelor's or higher	15.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	2	0.4%
Kindergarten	7	1.2%
Elementary school	262	46.6%
High school	239	42.5%
College / grad school	52	9.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Transportation & utilities 16.7%

Education & healthcare 16.7%

Other services 12.1%

Agriculture & mining 10.1%

Manufacturing 9.7%

Public administration 8.7%

Finance & real estate 6.8%

Retail trade 4.9%

Construction 4.3%

Wholesale trade 4.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.3%

Professional & management 0.9%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.0%
Service	9.7%
Sales & office	19.0%
Natural resources & construction	22.8%
Production & transportation	23.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.9%
Government	17.3%
Self-employed	0.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.7%
Carpool	2.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	8.1%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.1

Poverty

All people 20.2%

Under 18 years 11.5%

18 and over 21.8%

Married-couple families 16.2%

Female-led households 5.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.1%
Retirement income	40.6%
Supplemental Security	8.7%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	45.0%
High cholesterol	39.3%
Diabetes	15.1%
Heart disease	9.9%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	11.7%
Arthritis	39.0%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	13.2%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.9%
Binge drinking	11.5%
No physical activity	33.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.5%
Depression	28.0%
Fair or poor health	23.8%
Poor mental health	18.3%
Poor physical health	16.1%
No health insurance	12.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.8%
Visited dentist	54.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	22.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	322	12.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	12.8%
65 and over	34.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.6%
Public insurance	42.3%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	12.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,056	96.8%
Spanish	8	0.3%
Other Indo-European	8	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,112	98.6%
Born in same state	3,101	98.3%
Born in different state	2,110	66.9%
Foreign born	11	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	44	1.4%
Not a US citizen	44	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	633	20.1%
Italian	455	14.4%
Arab	302	9.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	17	0.5%
English	10	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.4%
Internet access	87.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26456

What city is ZIP code 26456 in?

ZIP code 26456 is primarily assigned to West Union, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26456 in?

ZIP code 26456 falls within Doddridge County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26456 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 26456 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 26456 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 26456 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 26456 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 26456 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26456?

20% of residents in ZIP code 26456 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 26456 in?

ZIP code 26456 observes the EST timezone.