Petroleum, WV · standard
ZIP Code 26161
Ritchie County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 480
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $162,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 7.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Petroleum pairs below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 31st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 100%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26161 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 26161 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Petroleum, Ritchie County, West Virginia, home to just 480 residents across 123.1 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
Median household income is not on file for ZIP 26161, but per-capita income is $23,163. The poverty rate is 33.3%, 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 $162,500 (18% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while 100.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 7.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 62.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Ritchie County, so 26161 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 26161, Petroleum, 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
480
Population
123.1
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 26161?
62.5
Median Age
52.3%
Male
47.7%
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?
$23,163
Per Capita Income
33.3%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
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
186housing units
186
Total Housing Units
174
Occupied Units
12
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$162,500
Median Home Value
+18% vs state ZIP avg
1977
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 26161 vs 26180 →
ZIP 26161 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26143
Elizabeth (26143)
4,547 residents
- 26184
Waverly (26184)
2,361 residents
- 26180
Walker (26180)
2,284 residents
- 26337 1,218
Cairo (26337)
1,218 residents
- 26161 480
Petroleum (26161)
480 residents
- 26148 245
Macfarlan (26148)
245 residents
- 26138 127
Brohard (26138)
127 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26161 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
More ZIP Codes in Ritchie County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 26161 in?
ZIP code 26161 (Petroleum) is located in Ritchie County, West Virginia. Ritchie County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/ritchie-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26161?
ZIP code 26161 in Petroleum, WV has a population of 480 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26161?
The median home value in ZIP 26161 is $162,500, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26161?
The largest racial group in ZIP 26161 is White at 100.0%.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26161?
In ZIP code 26161, 67.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 7.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26161?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26161 is 33.3% 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 26161's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 26161 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Petroleum, 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.