ZIP Code 24888 — Gary city, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 24888 covers Gary, WV in McDowell County with a population of about 111.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 52.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 304, 681; U.S. House district WV-1; the BLUEFIELD - BECKLEY - OAK HILL media market.

Gary, WV reads as a military / base-oriented community on US5’s intent model (elevated veteran share (18.8%) and/or base-related place names). Service members and families often look up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, on-base mail (PSC / P.O. Box) addresses, and nearby ZIP demographics when relocating.

US5 shows 2026 DoD BAH locality rates for this ZIP’s Military Housing Area on this page (pay grade × with/without dependents). Treat the table as a planning reference and confirm entitlement with your finance office or the official DTMO BAH lookup.

Median household income in ZIP 24888 is about $34,408 — about 54% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 29.7%; unemployment rate near 0.0%; 7.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 25.8 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Food services, Retail trade, and Healthcare; a mean commute of about 41.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $61,900 — about 82% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 100.0% (about 34.6 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 24888 in Gary, WV, a household would need roughly $17,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $398. That sits below the local median household income ($34,408), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Gary city, WV as Relatively Low (composite score 76.7), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (84.7) and wildfire (69.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Gary city, WV show little to no average snow.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 4 for ZIP 24888 (Gary city, WV) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.