ZIP Code 26542 — Masontown town, WV Demographics & Data

ZIP code 26542 covers Masontown, WV in Preston County with a population of about 2,120.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 39.8 (near the U.S. median).

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

Median household income in ZIP 26542 is about $59,063 — about 21% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.4%; unemployment rate near 2.5%; 20.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 13.0 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Transportation; about 6.5% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 8.7 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 $152,300 — about 56% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $587 (about 50% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 85.2% (about 19.8 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 26542 in Masontown, WV, a household would need roughly $42,000 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 $978. That sits below the local median household income ($59,063), 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 Masontown town, WV as Very Low (composite score 33.8), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (59.6) and hurricane (55.1). 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 Masontown town, WV show little to no average snow and around 43.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 79 for ZIP 26542 (Masontown 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.