Lester, WV · standard
ZIP Code 25865
Raleigh County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,475
- 22/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $38,173
- Median income Below-median income area
- $170,000
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 11.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lester pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 5th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 34th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 22
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 25865 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 25865 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lester, Raleigh County, West Virginia, home to just 1,475 residents across 65.8 square miles, a density of 22 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 25865 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $38,173 (34% below the average West Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,485. The poverty rate is 26.1%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $170,000 (23% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while 86.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $975.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Raleigh County, so 25865 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 25865, Lester, WV · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,475
Population
65.8
Area (sq mi)
22
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 25865?
63.3
Median Age
47.7%
Male
52.3%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$38,173
Median Household Income
-34% vs state ZIP avg
$25,485
Per Capita Income
26.1%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 25865 ranks among West Virginia ZIPs
Lester, WV household income vs. every West Virginia ZIP code
Median household income among 539 reporting West Virginia ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$38,173 16th percentile higher than 16% of 539 West Virginia ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more West Virginia ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
972housing units
972
Total Housing Units
747
Occupied Units
225
Vacant Units
2.11
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$170,000
Median Home Value
+23% vs state ZIP avg
$975
Median Rent
1989
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 6 business establishments in ZIP 25865, employing approximately 24 people with a combined annual payroll of $326,000.
6
Businesses
24
Employees
$326K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 25865 vs 25920 →
ZIP 25865 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 25827
Crab Orchard (25827)
2,488 residents
- 25921
Sophia (25921)
2,157 residents
- 25865
Lester (25865)
1,475 residents
- 25844
Glen Daniel (25844)
1,417 residents
- 25817 784
Bolt (25817)
784 residents
- 25839 691
Fairdale (25839)
691 residents
- 25848 443
Glen Rogers (25848)
443 residents
- 25932 339
Surveyor (25932)
339 residents
- 25849 266
Glen White (25849)
266 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 25865 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 25865 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 25827
Crab Orchard (25827)
$41,198 median income
- 25865
Lester (25865)
$38,173 median income
- 25921
Sophia (25921)
$35,451 median income
- 25844
Glen Daniel (25844)
$30,526 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 25865 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25920 | Slab Fork, WV | 221 | 2.8 mi |
| 25932 | Surveyor, WV | 339 | 3.1 mi |
| 25849 | Glen White, WV | 266 | 3.8 mi |
| 25817 | Bolt, WV | 784 | 3.8 mi |
| 25839 | Fairdale, WV | 691 | 4.4 mi |
| 25848 | Glen Rogers, WV | 443 | 4.8 mi |
| 25921 | Sophia, WV | 2,157 | 4.4 mi |
| 25827 | Crab Orchard, WV | 2,488 | 5.3 mi |
| 25844 | Glen Daniel, WV | 1,417 | 6.1 mi |
| 25853 | Helen, WV | 182 | 6.4 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 25865, both outside WV so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,475 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Raleigh County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 25865 in?
ZIP code 25865 (Lester) is located in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Raleigh County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/raleigh-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 25865?
ZIP code 25865 in Lester, WV has a population of 1,475 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 25865?
The median household income in ZIP 25865 is $38,173, which is 50% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 25865?
The median home value in ZIP 25865 is $170,000, which is 39% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 25865?
The largest racial group in ZIP 25865 is White at 97.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 25865?
ZIP code 25865 has 6 business establishments employing approximately 24 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 25865?
In ZIP code 25865, 72.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 25865?
In ZIP code 25865, approximately 86.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 25865?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 25865 is 26.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 25865's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 25865 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lester, WV ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.