PlainZIP

Wardensville, WV · standard

ZIP Code 26851

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

2,180
8/sq mi
$49,776
Median income
$209,400
Median home value
16.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

14th pct
household income, US ZIPs
46th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
81%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 26851 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 26851 covers 283.1 square miles in Wardensville, Hardy County, West Virginia (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,180 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 26851 reports a modest median household income of $49,776 (14% below the West Virginia average), while per-capita income is $32,823. Poverty here runs at 19.3%, with unemployment measured at 5.4%. Housing costs here run $209,400 for a typical home value (52% above the state average), with rent averaging $820 a month; 80.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 54.1, and the average commute is -. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Hardy County, so you can benchmark 26851 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 26851

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wardensville, WV

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26851.

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 26851, Wardensville, 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

2,180

Population

283.1

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 26851?

54.1

Median Age

53.8%

Male

46.2%

Female

0.1%

Foreign-Born

White 90.1%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%

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?

$49,776

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$32,823

Per Capita Income

19.3%

Poverty Rate

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 26851 ranks nationally

Wardensville, WV household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$49,776 14th percentile higher than 14% 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 62.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.8%

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

What does housing look like?

1,343

Total Housing Units

945

Occupied Units

398

Vacant Units

1.95

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 80.6%
Renter 19.4%

$209,400

Median Home Value

+52% vs state

$820

Median Rent

1979

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 36 business establishments in ZIP 26851, employing approximately 288 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,433,000.

36

Businesses

288

Employees

$10.4M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 9 25.0%
Retail trade 6 16.7%
Other services (except public administration) 5 13.9%
Finance and insurance 3 8.3%
Accommodation and food services 3 8.3%

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 26851 vs 22654 →

ZIP 26851 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 26851 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 26851 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 26851 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
22654 Star Tannery, VA 640 6.0 mi
26714 Delray, WV 482 9.2 mi
26810 Lost City, WV 329 7.9 mi
26755 Rio, WV 833 8.8 mi
26823 Capon Springs, WV 198 9.8 mi
22644 Maurertown, VA 2,177 10.1 mi
26865 Yellow Spring, WV 248 11.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Hardy County

26836 standard
Moorefield, WV
Pop: 6,578
26812 standard
Mathias, WV
Pop: 1,705
26801 standard
Baker, WV
Pop: 1,118
26845 standard
Old Fields, WV
Pop: 898
26818 standard
Fisher, WV
Pop: 709
26810 standard
Lost City, WV
Pop: 329

Related Areas

Hardy County Wardensville, WV West Virginia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 26851 in? ▼
ZIP code 26851 (Wardensville) is located in Hardy County, West Virginia. Hardy County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hardy-wv.
What is the population of ZIP code 26851? ▼
ZIP code 26851 in Wardensville, WV has a population of 2,180 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 26851? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 26851 is $49,776, which is 35% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 26851? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 26851 is $209,400, which is 25% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 26851? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 26851 is White at 90.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 26851? ▼
ZIP code 26851 has 36 business establishments employing approximately 288 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 26851? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 26851 are: Health care and social assistance (9), Retail trade (6), Other services (except public administration) (5). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 26851? ▼
In ZIP code 26851, 62.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.8% 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 26851? ▼
In ZIP code 26851, approximately 80.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 26851? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 26851 is 19.3% 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.