ZIP Code 26508 — Cheat Lake CDP, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 26508 covers Cheat Lake, WV in Monongalia County with a population of about 39,356.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 36.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

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

Median household income in ZIP 26508 is about $83,247 — about 11% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 14.2%; unemployment rate near 4.9%; 49.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 16.0 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Education, and Retail trade; about 12.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 2.8 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 $287,700 — about 17% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $818 (about 30% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 75.2% (about 9.8 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 26508 in Cheat Lake, WV, a household would need roughly $79,000 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 $1,848. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($83,247). 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 Cheat Lake CDP, WV as Relatively Low (composite score 71.5), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (85.0) and hurricane (63.2). 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 Cheat Lake CDP, WV show little to no average snow and around 43.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,462 for ZIP 26508 (Cheat Lake CDP, 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.