ZIP Code 26034 — Chester, WV

About ZIP 26034

ZIP code 26034 serves Chester in Hancock, West Virginia. It centers near 40.5981°, -80.5584° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 4,316 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $53,760 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $115,900, and asking rents on the open market sit around $859 per month. Compared to the rest of West Virginia, that makes 26034 noticeably pricier than the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $35,628 and a median home value of $83,127.

The median resident is around 53.0 years old, and roughly 14.9% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 1.9% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 26034, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $115,900 and a typical rental runs $859 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

• At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $617 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at $859/mo costs roughly $10,308 per year, or about 19.2% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$32,773 versus the state average of $83,127) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 53.0 and a population of 4,316, ZIP 26034 reads as a more mature, established neighborhood with fewer young children.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 40.5981, -80.5584. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Chester or browse the rest of West Virginia.