Paden City, WV · standard
ZIP Code 26159
Wetzel County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,745
- 628/sq mi High-density area
- $66,190
- Median income Near-median income area
- $104,100
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 15.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Paden City pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 40th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 11th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 628
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26159 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 26159 covers 4.4 square miles in Paden City, Wetzel County, West Virginia (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,745 residents on file, a density of 628 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 26159 reports a modest median household income of $66,190 (15% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,326. The poverty rate is 12.0%, with unemployment at 4.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $104,100 (25% below the average West Virginia ZIP), and median rent is $719; owner occupancy is 84.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.6, and the average commute is 24 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Wetzel County, so 26159 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 26159
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Paden City, WV
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26159.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
17 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Retail trade 4
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Construction 3
Construction
3 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
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 26159, Paden City, 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
2,745
Population
4.4
Area (sq mi)
628
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 26159?
40.6
Median Age
50.9%
Male
49.1%
Female
0.1%
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?
$66,190
Median Household Income
+15% vs state ZIP avg
$30,326
Per Capita Income
12.0%
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
24.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 26159 ranks among West Virginia ZIPs
Paden City, 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)
$66,190 Top 29% higher than 71% 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
1,128housing units
1,128
Total Housing Units
968
Occupied Units
160
Vacant Units
2.53
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$104,100
Median Home Value
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$719
Median Rent
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 41 business establishments in ZIP 26159, employing approximately 215 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,808,000.
41
Businesses
215
Employees
$6.8M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 17 | 41.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 19.5% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 9.8% |
| Construction | 3 | 7.3% |
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 26159 vs 43946 →
ZIP 26159 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26175
Sistersville (26175)
3,326 residents
- 26159
Paden City (26159)
2,745 residents
- 26149
Middlebourne (26149)
2,452 residents
- 43946
Sardis (43946)
2,114 residents
- 26146 1,003
Friendly (26146)
1,003 residents
- 43931 272
Hannibal (43931)
272 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26159 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 26159 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 43931
Hannibal (43931)
$78,241 median income
- 26149
Middlebourne (26149)
$71,786 median income
- 26159
Paden City (26159)
$66,190 median income
- 43946
Sardis (43946)
$62,832 median income
- 26175
Sistersville (26175)
$56,875 median income
- 26146
Friendly (26146)
$37,147 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 26159 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 26159, 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 (2,745 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Wetzel County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 26159 in?
ZIP code 26159 (Paden City) is located in Wetzel County, West Virginia. Wetzel County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wetzel-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26159?
ZIP code 26159 in Paden City, WV has a population of 2,745 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26159?
The median household income in ZIP 26159 is $66,190, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26159?
The median home value in ZIP 26159 is $104,100, which is 63% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26159?
The largest racial group in ZIP 26159 is White at 98.7%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26159?
ZIP code 26159 has 41 business establishments employing approximately 215 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 26159?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 26159 are: Health care and social assistance (17), Other services (except public administration) (8), Retail trade (4). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26159?
In ZIP code 26159, 59.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 26159?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 26159 is 24.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 26159?
In ZIP code 26159, approximately 84.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26159?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26159 is 12.0% 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 26159's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 26159 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Paden City, 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.