26003 ZIP Code, Wheeling, WV

26003 is a ZIP code in Wheeling, West Virginia — mostly in Ohio County (61% of its land), with smaller parts in Marshall and Brooke counties. It covers 91 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 26059, 26031 and 43935. 39,982 people live here in 18,151 households, which puts it among the most populous 1% of West Virginia ZIP codes. With about 439 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (68% own). Median household income is $57,703, close to the West Virginia median of $59,608.

Quick facts

Key figures

MeasureValue
Residents39,982
Households18,151
Median household income$57,703
Income per person$38,424
Median age44.7
Homeowners67.5%
Median home value$166,100
Median rent$818
Bachelor's degree or higher34.0%
Average commute (minutes)20.8
Households with kids under 1824.0%
Moved in the past year11.4%
Below the poverty line17.0%
Broadband internet87.3%
Speak a non-English language at home3.5%

Household income

% of householdsValue
<$10K6.4%
$10–15K7.1%
$15–25K9.4%
$25–35K10.0%
$35–50K12.6%
$50–75K14.1%
$75–100K11.8%
$100–150K14.1%
$150–200K7.9%
$200K+6.7%

Age

% of all residentsValue
<1010.5%
10–1910.9%
20–245.4%
25–3411.5%
35–4411.7%
45–5410.7%
55–6414.0%
65–7415.3%
75+9.9%

Tenure

% of housing unitsValue
Owned, with mortgage28.4%
Owned outright31.6%
Rented28.0%
Vacant12.0%

Type of building

% of housing unitsValue
Detached house68.4%
Townhome5.4%
2–4 units10.0%
5–19 units5.0%
20+ units9.5%
Mobile / other1.5%

Businesses in 26003

1,181 business establishments with 19,157 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

EDDM carrier routes

26003 has 36 USPS carrier routes with 19,365 residential and 1,465 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 26003

26003 has 36 USPS carrier routes (30 city (C), 6 rural (R)) with 19,365 residential and 1,465 business mailboxes. Routes range from 298 homes (C065) to 762 homes (C048); the median route has 537 homes. The Census counted 18,151 households in 26003 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per routeRoutes
1–2490
250–49913
500–74922
750–9991
1,000–1,4990
1,500+0

Best routes in 26003 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

  1. Route C053 — USPS business mailboxes 289, 643 homes
  2. Route C050 — USPS business mailboxes 112, 409 homes
  3. Route C012 — USPS business mailboxes 108, 678 homes
  4. Route C065 — USPS business mailboxes 107, 298 homes
  5. Route C045 — USPS business mailboxes 66, 688 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 26003

RouteTypeHomesBusinessesEst. median incomeEst. ownersEst. families with kidsEst. moved in past year
C010City71333$17,670———
C012City678108$17,670———
C021City73531$25,485———
C030City49430$123,523———
C031City59540$21,968———
C033City4893$98,923———
C034City46110$51,841———
C042City6188$66,370———
C043City64245$37,950———
C045City68866$34,301———
C046City56526$45,932———
C048City7626$66,370———
C049City52828$62,645———
C050City409112$44,645———
C053City643289$25,553———
C061City31232$57,092———
C062City45158$123,523———
C063City42713$57,092———
C064City54516$65,567———
C065City298107$37,950———
C066City73718$123,523———
C067City47428$123,523———
C068City64740$123,523———
C069City40050$17,804———
C080City39215$102,252———
C081City52837$13,185———
C082City50054$25,553———
C085City56740$90,865———
C086City3788$58,947———
C087City54266$17,804———
R001Rural5657$99,415———
R002Rural6336$17,804———
R003Rural53915$104,840———
R004Rural5256$107,383———
R005Rural35111$96,407———
R006Rural5343$104,840———

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 26003 on the EDDM route map.

How route demographics are estimated

Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates

The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).

How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method

We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.

Margins of error

Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.

Different years

USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.

Why some routes show identical figures

Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.

Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Nearby ZIP codes

Areas that include 26003

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 26003

Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 26003, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 26003 in?
26003 is a Wheeling, WV mailing address. By land area, 15% lies inside Wheeling and 4% lies inside Bethlehem; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 26003 in?
26003 is mostly in Ohio County (61% of its land), with smaller parts in Marshall and Brooke counties.
What is the population of 26003?
About 39,982 people (±863), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 40,591.
What is the median household income in 26003?
$57,703 (±$3,887), compared with $59,608 for West Virginia as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 26003?
36 USPS carrier routes with 19,365 residential and 1,465 business mailboxes (20,832 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 26003?
The closest, measured center to center: 26059 (2.5 mi, Triadelphia), 26031 (5.7 mi, Benwood), 43935 (5.9 mi, Martins Ferry), 26060 (6.1 mi, Valley Grove), 43971 (7 mi, Yorkville) and 26040 (7.3 mi, McMechen).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.