ZIP Code 26430 — Sand Fork town, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 26430 covers Sand Fork, WV in Gilmer County with a population of about 299.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 57.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 304, 681; U.S. House district WV-1; the CLARKSBURG - WESTON media market.

Sand Fork, WV fits a retirement-oriented profile (older median age or known retirement-community context). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 36.8%; unemployment rate near 36.4%; 10.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 22.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Public administration, and Education; about 15.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 53.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $117,500 — about 66% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 74.4% (about 9.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 26430 in Sand Fork, WV, a household would need roughly $32,000 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 $755. 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 Sand Fork town, WV as Very Low (composite score 11.5), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (41.8) and flood (39.2). 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 Sand Fork town, WV show little to no average snow and around 47.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 11 for ZIP 26430 (Sand Fork 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.