ZIP Code 26003 — Wheeling city, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 26003 covers Wheeling, WV in Ohio County with a population of about 40,445.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 45.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 304, 681; U.S. House district WV-2; the WHEELING - STEUBENVILLE media market.

Wheeling, WV sits in a university / college context (near wheeling university (2.3 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 26003 is about $58,625 — about 22% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 15.4%; unemployment rate near 5.5%; 32.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 1.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Education; about 7.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 7.8 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $164,500 — about 53% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $675 (about 42% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 68.3% (about 2.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 26003 in Wheeling, WV, a household would need roughly $45,000 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 $1,057. That sits below the local median household income ($58,625), 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 Wheeling city, WV as Relatively Low (composite score 69.8), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (85.3) and hurricane (52.1). 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 Wheeling city, WV show little to no average snow and around 41.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,502 for ZIP 26003 (Wheeling 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.