PlainZIP

Masontown, WV · standard

ZIP Code 26542

Preston County, West Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,547
27/sq mi
$54,375
Median income
$152,000
Median home value
19.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Masontown pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

20th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
27
people per sq mi
86%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26542 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 26542 covers 93.3 square miles in Masontown, Preston County, West Virginia (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,547 residents on file, a density of 27 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 26542 reports a modest median household income of $54,375 (6% below the West Virginia average), while per-capita income is $26,563. Poverty here runs at 15.8%, with unemployment measured at 4.7%. Median home value sits at $152,000 (10% above the state average), median rent at $883 a month, and owner-occupancy at 86.3%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is -. To put 26542 in local context, 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Preston County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 26542

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Masontown, WV

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26542.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 26542, Masontown, 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

2,547

Population

93.3

Area (sq mi)

27

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 26542?

44.8

Median Age

55.5%

Male

44.5%

Female

0.8%

Foreign-Born

White 95.8%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

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?

$54,375

Median Household Income

-6% vs state

$26,563

Per Capita Income

15.8%

Poverty Rate

4.7%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 26542 ranks nationally

Masontown, WV household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$54,375 20th percentile higher than 20% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 67.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

967

Total Housing Units

890

Occupied Units

77

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 86.3%
Renter 13.7%

$152,000

Median Home Value

+10% vs state

$883

Median Rent

1982

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 49 business establishments in ZIP 26542, employing approximately 284 people with a combined annual payroll of $12,198,000.

49

Businesses

284

Employees

$12.2M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 9 18.4%
Construction 7 14.3%
Transportation and warehousing 5 10.2%
Health care and social assistance 5 10.2%
Other services (except public administration) 5 10.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 8.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 6.1%

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 26542 vs 26547 →

ZIP 26542 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26542 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 26542 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 26542 ranks #5 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
26547 Reedsville, WV 2,376 4.3 mi
26520 Arthurdale, WV 778 5.5 mi
26508 Morgantown, WV 29,170 5.9 mi
26537 Kingwood, WV 5,721 7.2 mi
26374 Independence, WV 1,375 9.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Preston County

26525 standard
Bruceton Mills, WV
Pop: 7,064
26537 standard
Kingwood, WV
Pop: 5,721
26764 standard
Terra Alta, WV
Pop: 4,220
26444 standard
Tunnelton, WV
Pop: 3,639
26547 standard
Reedsville, WV
Pop: 2,376
26519 standard
Albright, WV
Pop: 1,836

Related Areas

Preston County Masontown, WV West Virginia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 26542 in? ▼
ZIP code 26542 (Masontown) is located in Preston County, West Virginia. Preston County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/preston-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26542? ▼
ZIP code 26542 in Masontown, WV has a population of 2,547 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26542? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 26542 is $54,375, which is 29% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26542? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 26542 is $152,000, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26542? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 26542 is White at 95.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26542? ▼
ZIP code 26542 has 49 business establishments employing approximately 284 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 26542? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 26542 are: Retail trade (9), Construction (7), Transportation and warehousing (5). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26542? ▼
In ZIP code 26542, 67.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.4% 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 26542? ▼
In ZIP code 26542, approximately 86.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26542? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26542 is 15.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.