ZIP Codes of Ritchie County, WV

Population & People
Population & People
Total Population
9,292
Household Income
Household Income
Median Income
$50,498
Housing
Housing
Total Housing Units
4,324
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Total Businesses
176
Employment
Employment
Employment Rate
42.48%
Education
Education
Bachelor's Degree+
13.26%
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · rolled up across the 10 ZIPs in this county.
Data Last Updated: June 1, 2026
ZIP Codes:10 ZIP Codes (10 Standard, 0 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All]
Area Codes:304 / 681
Timezone:Eastern (GMT -05:00)
Local Time:2:14:24 PM
Population:9,292 [See All]
FIPS:54085
Land Area:462 sq mi
Water Area:2 sq mi
Coordinates:39.1713, -81.0460
Quick Link:
https://www.zip-codes.com/county/wv-ritchie.asp
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Notable population decline
Lost 20.7% of residents since 2014.

Standout ZIPs in this County


Most Populous
Pennsboro · 3,308 people
35.6% of county total
Highest Income
Ellenboro · $73,641 median
1.5× county average
Largest Land Area
Harrisville · 105.6 sq mi
Spans the most ground
Fastest Growth
Harrisville · -3.3% (10-yr)
3,382 → 3,270 residents
Most Educated
Harrisville · 16.3% bachelor's+
388 of 2,384 adults 25+

Things worth knowing about Ritchie County


9,292 residents live across 10 ZIPs covering 462 sq mi, served by 10 distinct USPS-recognized cities.

Population moved from 11,718 to 9,292 from 2014 to 2024 — a -20.7% change. 1 ZIPs gained residents, 9 lost.

The county's wealthiest ZIP 26346 (Ellenboro, $73,641 median) and poorest ZIP 26178 (Smithville, $35,139) are 17.9 miles apart — a 2.1× income gap across local geography.

Median home values vary 1.9× across this county — from $85,000 in 26148 (Macfarlan) to $162,500 in 26161 (Petroleum).

Density varies across the county — from 4 people/sq mi in 26327 (Berea) to 32 in 26415 (Pennsboro).

Educational attainment ranges from 7.3% bachelor's+ in 26161 (Petroleum) to 20.1% in 26148 (Macfarlan) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.

Within West Virginia, this is the #44 most populous of 55 counties and ranks #46 for median household income .

Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $54,979 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.

13.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (933 of 7,036 reporting).

10 Standard delivery, 0 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.

Stories about Ritchie County


Population decline

Ritchie County lost 20.7% of residents between 2014 and 2024. ZIPs that shed the largest share:

Smithville
-66.4%
547 → 184 residents
Ellenboro
-38.7%
1,101 → 675 residents
Cairo
-29.7%
1,147 → 806 residents
Pennsboro
-25.0%
4,412 → 3,308 residents

All ZIP Codes in Ritchie County


ZIPCityTypePopulationMedian IncomeArea (sq mi)10-yr Growth
26415PennsboroStandard3,308$56,848105.0-25.0%
26362HarrisvilleStandard3,270$53,125105.6-3.3%
26337CairoStandard806$49,30665.5-29.7%
26346EllenboroStandard675$73,64124.1-38.7%
26161PetroleumStandard41552.058.4%
26325AuburnStandard22125.4-28.7%
26421PullmanStandard198$41,25017.4-7.9%
26178SmithvilleStandard184$35,13936.2-66.4%
26148MacfarlanStandard164$44,17716.5-17.6%
26327BereaStandard5113.9-64.3%

Adjacent & Nearby Counties