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
- $38,173
- Median income
- $170,000
- Median home value
- 11.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 65.8 square miles in Lester, Raleigh County, West Virginia. The area is home to 1,475 residents, producing a population density of 22 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 25865 against West Virginia and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 25865 sits at $38,173 (34% below the West Virginia average), while per-capita income is $25,485. The poverty rate stands at 26.1% and the unemployment rate at 1.2%. On housing, the median home value is $170,000 (23% above the state average) with median rent at $975 per month, and 86.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 25865 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 11.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.3, and the average commute is —. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Raleigh County, so you can benchmark 25865 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$25,485
Per Capita Income
26.1%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 25865 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$38,173 5th percentile higher than 5% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?
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
$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 |
More ZIP Codes in Raleigh County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 25865 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 25865? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 25865? ▼
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What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 25865? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 25865? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 25865? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 25865? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lester, WV
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.