ZIP 26178 vs ZIP 26137

This side-by-side compares ZIP 26178 (Smithville, WV) and ZIP 26137 (Big Springs, WV) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 26178 has a population of 587 at 6 people per square mile, while ZIP 26137 has 939 at 7 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 26178 reports a median household income of $35,139 against $26,098 in ZIP 26137, with per-capita income of $18,176 vs $14,235. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 0.0% in 26178 and 8.4% in 26137. Poverty rate reads 17.9% vs 49.3%, and unemployment 0.0% vs 5.6% — 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 $137,500 in 26178 versus — in 26137, with median rent of — and — per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 41.7% vs 94.9%. 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.