PlainZIP

Birch River, WV · standard

ZIP Code 26610

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

1,090
8/sq mi
$37,165
Median income
$84,300
Median home value
16.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Birch River pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

4th pct
household income, US ZIPs
5th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26610 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 26610 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Birch River, Nicholas County, West Virginia, home to just 1,090 residents across 145.3 square miles, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 26610 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $37,165 (36% below the West Virginia average), while per-capita income is $24,601. The poverty rate stands at 12.0% and the unemployment rate at 10.3%. Housing costs here run $84,300 for a typical home value (39% below the state average), with rent averaging $825 a month; 79.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59.2, and the average commute is -. To put 26610 in local context, 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Nicholas 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 26610

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Birch River, WV

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26610.

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 26610, Birch River, 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

1,090

Population

145.3

Area (sq mi)

8

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 26610?

59.2

Median Age

45.0%

Male

55.0%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.4%
African American 2.8%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$37,165

Median Household Income

-36% vs state

$24,601

Per Capita Income

12.0%

Poverty Rate

10.3%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 26610 ranks nationally

Birch River, WV household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$37,165 4th percentile higher than 4% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $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 66.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.7%

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

What does housing look like?

548

Total Housing Units

395

Occupied Units

153

Vacant Units

1.83

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.2%
Renter 20.8%

$84,300

Median Home Value

-39% vs state

$825

Median Rent

1986

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 26610, employing approximately 85 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,035,000.

17

Businesses

85

Employees

$4.0M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 3 17.6%
Retail trade 3 17.6%
Transportation and warehousing 3 17.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 17.6%

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 26610 vs 26617 →

ZIP 26610 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 26610 ranks #2 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 26610 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 26610 ranks #4 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
26617 Dille, WV 187 4.8 mi
26629 Little Birch, WV 309 5.8 mi
25211 Widen, WV 135 7.5 mi
26691 Tioga, WV 417 7.2 mi
26660 Calvin, WV 255 9.4 mi
26601 Sutton, WV 4,898 11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Nicholas County

26651 standard
Summersville, WV
Pop: 9,650
26205 standard
Craigsville, WV
Pop: 3,690
26261 standard
Richwood, WV
Pop: 2,701
26679 standard
Mount Nebo, WV
Pop: 1,896
26681 standard
Nettie, WV
Pop: 1,486
26678 standard
Mount Lookout, WV
Pop: 1,247

Related Areas

Nicholas County Birch River, WV West Virginia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 26610 in? ▼
ZIP code 26610 (Birch River) is located in Nicholas County, West Virginia. Nicholas County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/nicholas-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26610? ▼
ZIP code 26610 in Birch River, WV has a population of 1,090 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26610? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 26610 is $37,165, which is 51% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26610? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 26610 is $84,300, which is 70% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26610? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 26610 is White at 91.4%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26610? ▼
ZIP code 26610 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 85 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 26610? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 26610 are: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (3), Retail trade (3), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26610? ▼
In ZIP code 26610, 66.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.7% 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 26610? ▼
In ZIP code 26610, approximately 79.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26610? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26610 is 12.0% 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.