ZIP 26003 vs ZIP 26554

This side-by-side compares ZIP 26003 (Wheeling, WV) and ZIP 26554 (Fairmont, WV) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 26003 has a population of 43,002 at 175 people per square mile, while ZIP 26554 has 41,369 at 118 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 26003 reports a median household income of $57,703 against $69,712 in ZIP 26554, with per-capita income of $38,424 vs $37,402. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 34.0% in 26003 and 31.9% in 26554. Poverty rate reads 17.0% vs 13.3%, and unemployment 5.9% vs 5.2% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $166,100 in 26003 versus $183,900 in 26554, with median rent of $818 and $978 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 67.5% vs 73.2%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.