ZIP Code 26032 — Bethany town, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 26032 covers Bethany, WV in Brooke County with a population of about 1,109.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 21.1 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.

Bethany, WV sits in a university / college context (near bethany college (1.4 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 26032 is about $39,583 — about 47% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 5.6%; unemployment rate near 10.7%; 42.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 8.3 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Retail trade, and Food services; about 2.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 12.8 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 $85,400 — about 75% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $533 (about 54% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 73.3% (about 7.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 26032 in Bethany, WV, a household would need roughly $24,000 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 $549. That sits below the local median household income ($39,583), 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 Bethany town, WV as Relatively Low (composite score 54.2), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (75.7) and hurricane (52.5). 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 Bethany town, WV show little to no average snow and around 37.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 41 for ZIP 26032 (Bethany town, 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.