Rock Cave, WV · standard
ZIP Code 26234
Upshur County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,454
- 11/sq mi Low-density area
- $61,250
- Median income Below-median income area
- $206,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 12.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rock Cave pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 31st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 45th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26234 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 26234 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rock Cave, Upshur County, West Virginia, home to just 1,454 residents across 137.2 square miles, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 26234 reports a modest median household income of $61,250 (6% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,530. The poverty rate is 22.3%, 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 $206,500 (50% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while 91.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 56, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Upshur County, so 26234 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 26234
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rock Cave, WV
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26234.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
4 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
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 26234, Rock Cave, 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
1,454
Population
137.2
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 26234?
56.0
Median Age
47.8%
Male
52.2%
Female
0.5%
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?
$61,250
Median Household Income
+6% vs state ZIP avg
$29,530
Per Capita Income
22.3%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 26234 ranks among West Virginia ZIPs
Rock Cave, 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)
$61,250 Top 38% higher than 62% 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
538housing units
538
Total Housing Units
411
Occupied Units
127
Vacant Units
2.54
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$206,500
Median Home Value
+50% vs state ZIP avg
1975
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 18 business establishments in ZIP 26234, employing approximately 165 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,398,000.
18
Businesses
165
Employees
$6.4M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5 | 27.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 22.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 16.7% |
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 26234 vs 26228 →
ZIP 26234 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26218
French Creek (26218)
2,583 residents
- 26234
Rock Cave (26234)
1,454 residents
- 26376 463
Ireland (26376)
463 residents
- 26222 454
Hacker Valley (26222)
454 residents
- 26343 445
Crawford (26343)
445 residents
- 26224 221
Helvetia (26224)
221 residents
- 26215 167
Cleveland (26215)
167 residents
- 26230 124
Pickens (26230)
124 residents
- 26228 109
Kanawha Head (26228)
109 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26234 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 26234 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26215
Cleveland (26215)
$83,750 median income
- 26234
Rock Cave (26234)
$61,250 median income
- 26218
French Creek (26218)
$58,646 median income
- 26222
Hacker Valley (26222)
$48,438 median income
- 26343
Crawford (26343)
$45,560 median income
- 26376
Ireland (26376)
$34,811 median income
- 26224 $23,000
Helvetia (26224)
$23,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 26234 ranks #2 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26228 | Kanawha Head, WV | 109 | 3.3 mi |
| 26236 | Selbyville, WV | 29 | 5.3 mi |
| 26218 | French Creek, WV | 2,583 | 5.6 mi |
| 26215 | Cleveland, WV | 167 | 5.7 mi |
| 26376 | Ireland, WV | 463 | 7.6 mi |
| 26343 | Crawford, WV | 445 | 6.2 mi |
| 26224 | Helvetia, WV | 221 | 7.5 mi |
| 26222 | Hacker Valley, WV | 454 | 8.6 mi |
| 26230 | Pickens, WV | 124 | 10.4 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 26234, 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 (1,454 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Upshur County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 26234 in?
ZIP code 26234 (Rock Cave) is located in Upshur County, West Virginia. Upshur County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/upshur-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26234?
ZIP code 26234 in Rock Cave, WV has a population of 1,454 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26234?
The median household income in ZIP 26234 is $61,250, which is 20% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26234?
The median home value in ZIP 26234 is $206,500, which is 26% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26234?
The largest racial group in ZIP 26234 is White at 93.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26234?
ZIP code 26234 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 165 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 26234?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 26234 are: Retail trade (5), Health care and social assistance (4), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26234?
In ZIP code 26234, 77.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.8% 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 26234?
In ZIP code 26234, approximately 91.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26234?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26234 is 22.3% 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 26234's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 26234 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rock Cave, WV ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.