26003 ZIP Code — Wheeling, WV

Ohio County, West Virginia

ZIP code 26003 is located in Wheeling, West Virginia, within Ohio County. It covers approximately 91.10 square miles and serves a population of 40,714 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 304.

About ZIP code 26003

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $156,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

The gap between median ($56,662) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 44% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

40,714

population

91.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

26003 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 26003

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 26003. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wheeling	Acceptable
Wheeling	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

26059 Triadelphia (3.4 mi) 26060 Valley Grove (5.2 mi) 26031 Benwood (5.5 mi) 43935 Martins Ferry (6.7 mi) 26040 Mcmechen (7.3 mi) 43971 Yorkville (7.4 mi) 43963 Tiltonsville (7.6 mi) 43912 Bridgeport (7.7 mi) 26038 Glen Dale (7.8 mi) 26036 Dallas (8.6 mi) 15376 West Alexander (9.2 mi) 43906 Bellaire (9.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	40,714
Population density	447 / sq mi
State FIPS	54
County FIPS	069

Geography
Land area	91.10 sq mi
Water area	3.40 sq mi
Latitude	40.0688
Longitude	-80.6463
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	50.7%	50.0%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	26.6%	26.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	18.7%	15.8%
Over $200k	4.6%	4.4%	3.1%

Demographics & statistics

40,714

Population

447

People per sq mi

44.9

Median age

$56,662

Median household income

$37,148

Per capita income

$156,500

Median home value

$772

Median monthly rent

69.0%

Home ownership

14.4%

Poverty rate

5.3%

Unemployment

15,287

Housing units

33.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,124

Under 5

1,194

1,016

5–9

1,078

983

10–14

1,043

1,045

15–19

1,109

1,088

20–24

1,154

2,380

25–34

2,526

2,247

35–44

2,385

2,159

45–54

2,292

1,254

55–59

1,331

1,591

60–64

1,688

2,951

65–74

3,133

1,173

75–84

1,246

739

85+

785

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,668	18.8%
18 and over	33,046	81.2%
65 and over	10,027	24.6%
Median age	44.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.5%

Two or more races 4.3%

Black or African American 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Asian 0.6%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	37,167	89.5%
Two or more races	1,799	4.3%
Black or African American	1,310	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	814	2%
Asian	259	0.6%
Other race	129	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.7%	50.0%	51.6%
$50k – $100k	26.6%	26.9%	29.4%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	18.7%	15.8%
Over $200k	4.6%	4.4%	3.1%

Under $10k 6.5%

$10k–$15k 7.2%

$15k–$25k 10.8%

$25k–$35k 9.2%

$35k–$50k 11.7%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$75k–$100k 12.7%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 6.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.5%
$10k–$15k	7.2%
$15k–$25k	10.8%
$25k–$35k	9.2%
$35k–$50k	11.7%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$75k–$100k	12.7%
$100k–$150k	15.0%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	6.3%
Median income	$56,662

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.7%

$50k–$100k 18.8%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 15.9%

$200k–$300k 22.1%

$300k–$500k 9.7%

$500k–$1M 4.2%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$156,500
Median rent / month	$772
Owner occupied	69.0%
Renter occupied	31.0%
Vacant	15.4%
Single-family detached	68.4%
Large apartment buildings	8.5%
Mobile homes	2.1%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	3.3%
2000–2009	4.2%
1990–1999	7.6%
1980–1989	6.3%
1970–1979	11.8%
1960–1969	10.7%
1950–1959	13.4%
1940–1949	8.2%
1939 or earlier	34.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.6%
1 bedroom	12.7%
2 bedrooms	26.3%
3 bedrooms	41.1%
4 bedrooms	14.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.4%
1 vehicle	38.7%
2 vehicles	35.5%
3 or more	14.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	66.9%
Electricity	26.1%
Propane / LP gas	2.1%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	2.7%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,645	43.6%
Cohabiting couple	886	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	3,409	19.4%
Female householder, no spouse	5,588	31.9%
Households with children under 18	4,168	23.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	7,245	41.3%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.8%	29.5%
Married	50.3%	43.2%
Separated	1.6%	1.5%
Widowed	3.2%	12.7%
Divorced	11.1%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 32.4%

Some college, no degree 19.3%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 20.5%

Graduate / professional 12.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.0%
Bachelor's or higher	33.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	579	7.3%
Kindergarten	396	5.0%
Elementary school	3,174	39.8%
High school	1,695	21.2%
College / grad school	2,133	26.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.1%

Retail trade 11.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.9%

Professional & management 9.7%

Transportation & utilities 6.8%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Construction 5.6%

Other services 4.7%

Public administration 3.7%

Wholesale trade 3.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.8%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.4%
Service	16.8%
Sales & office	22.0%
Natural resources & construction	8.1%
Production & transportation	14.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	16.2%
Self-employed	3.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.7%
Carpool	7.6%
Public transit	1.5%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	6.1%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.7

Poverty

All people 14.4%

Under 18 years 16.7%

18 and over 13.9%

Married-couple families 4.3%

Female-led households 22.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.1%
Retirement income	31.5%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	41.6%
High cholesterol	38.1%
Diabetes	13.3%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	36.4%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.1%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.7%
Binge drinking	12.1%
No physical activity	27.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.0%
Depression	25.9%
Fair or poor health	19.0%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	13.5%
No health insurance	9.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.0%
Visited dentist	61.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.8%
Teeth loss	16.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,437	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.3%
Under 18	3.0%
18–64 years	12.7%
65 and over	35.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.3%
Public insurance	48.3%
No insurance	3.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	38,396	94.3%
Spanish	320	0.8%
Other Indo-European	66	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	182	0.5%
Other languages	72	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	39,902	98.0%
Born in same state	39,827	97.8%
Born in different state	28,462	69.9%
Foreign born	75	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	812	2.0%
Not a US citizen	523	64.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	6,328	15.5%
French	4,945	12.1%
Arab	1,810	4.4%
Irish	620	1.5%
English	342	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	158	0.4%
Norwegian	63	0.2%
German	44	0.1%
Dutch	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.1%
Internet access	87.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 26003

What city is ZIP code 26003 in?

ZIP code 26003 is primarily assigned to Wheeling, West Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 26003 in?

ZIP code 26003 falls within Ohio County, West Virginia.

Does ZIP code 26003 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 26003 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 26003?

The median home value in ZIP code 26003 is $156,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 26003?

ZIP code 26003 has an estimated population of 40,714 residents, with a density of 447 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 26003?

The median household income in ZIP code 26003 is $56,662, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 26003 in?

ZIP code 26003 observes the EST timezone.