Smithville, WV · standard
ZIP Code 26178
Ritchie County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 587
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $35,139
- Median income Below-median income area
- $137,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 0.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Smithville pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 22nd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 42%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26178 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 26178 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Smithville, Ritchie County, West Virginia, home to just 587 residents across 106.7 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 26178 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $35,139 (39% below the average West Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $18,176. The poverty rate is 17.9%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $137,500 (0% below the average West Virginia ZIP); 41.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 0.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Ritchie County, so 26178 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 26178, Smithville, 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
587
Population
106.7
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 26178?
44.9
Median Age
65.8%
Male
34.2%
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?
$35,139
Median Household Income
-39% vs state ZIP avg
$18,176
Per Capita Income
17.9%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 26178 ranks among West Virginia ZIPs
Smithville, 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)
$35,139 12th percentile higher than 12% 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
225housing units
225
Total Housing Units
115
Occupied Units
110
Vacant Units
1.60
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$137,500
Median Home Value
-0% vs state ZIP avg
1945
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 8 business establishments in ZIP 26178, employing approximately 28 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,272,000.
8
Businesses
28
Employees
$1.3M
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 26178 vs 26137 →
ZIP 26178 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26362
Harrisville (26362)
3,378 residents
- 26137 939
Big Springs (26137)
939 residents
- 26136 644
Big Bend (26136)
644 residents
- 26178 587
Smithville (26178)
587 residents
- 26421 262
Pullman (26421)
262 residents
- 26148 245
Macfarlan (26148)
245 residents
- 26327 83
Berea (26327)
83 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26178 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 26178 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26362
Harrisville (26362)
$53,125 median income
- 26148
Macfarlan (26148)
$44,177 median income
- 26136
Big Bend (26136)
$42,788 median income
- 26421
Pullman (26421)
$41,250 median income
- 26178
Smithville (26178)
$35,139 median income
- 26137
Big Springs (26137)
$26,098 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 26178 ranks #5 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 26178, both outside WV so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Ritchie County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 26178 in?
ZIP code 26178 (Smithville) 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 26178?
ZIP code 26178 in Smithville, WV has a population of 587 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26178?
The median household income in ZIP 26178 is $35,139, which is 54% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26178?
The median home value in ZIP 26178 is $137,500, which is 51% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26178?
The largest racial group in ZIP 26178 is White at 100.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 18.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26178?
ZIP code 26178 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 28 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 26178?
In ZIP code 26178, approximately 41.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 58.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26178?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26178 is 17.9% 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 26178's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 26178 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Smithville, 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.