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 Low-density area
- $49,776
- Median income Below-median income area
- $209,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 16.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average West Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,823. The poverty rate is 19.3%, with unemployment at 5.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $209,400 (52% above the average West Virginia ZIP), while 80.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $820.
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 -. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Hardy County, so 26851 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 26851
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wardensville, WV
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 26851.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
9 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Finance and insurance 3
Finance and insurance
3 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 3
Accommodation and food services
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 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
Who lives in ZIP 26851?
54.1
Median Age
53.8%
Male
46.2%
Female
0.1%
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?
$49,776
Median Household Income
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$32,823
Per Capita Income
19.3%
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 26851 ranks among West Virginia ZIPs
Wardensville, 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)
$49,776 36th percentile higher than 36% 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
1,343housing units
1,343
Total Housing Units
945
Occupied Units
398
Vacant Units
1.95
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$209,400
Median Home Value
+52% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 26851
Wardensville (26851)
2,180 residents
- 22644
Maurertown (22644)
2,177 residents
- 26755 833
Rio (26755)
833 residents
- 22654 640
Star Tannery (22654)
640 residents
- 26714 482
Delray (26714)
482 residents
- 26810 329
Lost City (26810)
329 residents
- 26865 248
Yellow Spring (26865)
248 residents
- 26823 198
Capon Springs (26823)
198 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 26851 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 26851 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 22644
Maurertown (22644)
$75,606 median income
- 22654
Star Tannery (22654)
$74,721 median income
- 26714
Delray (26714)
$72,159 median income
- 26865
Yellow Spring (26865)
$50,833 median income
- 26851
Wardensville (26851)
$49,776 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 26851, 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 (2,180 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Hardy County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 26851's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 26851 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wardensville, 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.