Population & age
- Total population
- 171
- Median age
- 57.8
Helvetia, WV (26224)
Randolph County · Population 171
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Helvetia, WV (ZIP 26224) sits in Randolph County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 52.2%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 4 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $32,955. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,695 per worker, roughly 30% below the US average. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1967 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 56.4" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. 23% of adults self-report fair or poor health (County Health Rankings, 2025) — above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 4-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 136 residents (57 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $31,792, fair market rent of $930 for a two-bedroom, and a 46.8% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 100.0%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $31,792
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 23.9%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 74(85.1%)
- Renter-occupied
- 13(14.9%)
- Vacant units
- 63
- Built (median)
- 1972
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 0(0.0%)
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 80(46.8%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 78(89.7%)
- No broadband
- 9(10.3%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 0(0.0%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$650
/month
1 Bed
$710
/month
2 Bed
$930
/month
3 Bed
$1,190
/month
4 Bed
$1,480
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
65
Across 57 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $8.1M.
Single-family
51
78% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
14
22% of total units
Single-family value
$6.9M
construction value
Multifamily value
$1.1M
construction value
Aggregated from 2 counties touching this ZIP (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
4
Total employment
12
Annual payroll
$496K
Average annual pay
$41,333
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$45,695
Average weekly wage
$879
Total employment
10,467
Total establishments
1,002
That is roughly 30% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
5.4%
That is 1.4 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
10,412
Employed
9,847
Unemployed
565
Based on Randolph County, WV data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Public libraries
Public-library outlets
1
Single library outlet
One public-library outlet serves this ZIP — typical of suburban and small-town areas. Card holders also have full access to the rest of the system's branches.
Buildings
1
1 central
Avg hours / week
30
across outlets in this ZIP
Avg square feet
1,000
per outlet
Outlets in this ZIP
- 1.Helvetia Public Library
Public libraries provide free WiFi, computer access, children's programming, job-seeking resources, and meeting space — community infrastructure beyond books. FY2023 outlet inventory from the federal Public Libraries Survey.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public-library outlets — central buildings, branches, and bookmobiles — operated by federally reporting library systems.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
27
Date Range
1967–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3639)
Incident period: January 23, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Severe Storm9 (33%)
- Flood7 (26%)
- Hurricane4 (15%)
- Snowstorm3 (11%)
- Biological2 (7%)
- Other2 (7%)
Individual Assistance
8
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
26
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
14
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
51.8°F
42.5° – 61.1°
Annual precipitation
56.4"
Annual snowfall
55.4"
Heating · cooling days
5,399.6 · 605
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: ROCK CAVE 2 NE, WV US, 10.5 miles from the centroid of Helvetia, WV (ZIP 26224)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
10,398
That is roughly 2,198 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
23%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
5.6
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.8
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
7.4%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
76
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,957
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.1
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
68%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
35%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.3% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Randolph data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Good food access — most residents near a store
8.7% of Randolph County, WV residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.11
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.25
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.46
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 3.4% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Randolph County, WV for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 68 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 145 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
31
Vehicle theft
4
County-level data for Randolph (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+136 people
+57 households • +$8.2M net AGI flow
Moved in
631households
1,128 people • $31.8M AGI
Moved out
574households
992 people • $23.6M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Barbour County, WV — 50 households
- Upshur County, WV — 39 households
- Tucker County, WV — 27 households
Where departing residents went
- Barbour County, WV — 67 households
- Upshur County, WV — 35 households
- Monongalia County, WV — 29 households
- Tucker County, WV — 25 households
- Harrison County, WV — 22 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $50,422 versus departing households' $41,129.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in West Virginia
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 26224. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
4.82%
graduated · 4 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
6.59%
State 6.00% · avg local 0.59%
Property tax (effective)
0.44%
Median $344/year
Tax burden rank
24 of 50
10.00% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 26224
Nearby ZIPs by distance
26236 (3.6 mi) · 26237 (7.2 mi) · 26234 (Rock Cave, 7.3 mi) · 26280 (Mill Creek, 7.6 mi) · 26230 (Pickens, 8.3 mi) · 26218 (Rock Cave, 8.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
43.1%
10.1pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
52.2%
20.2pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
26.7%
4.7pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
82.2%
6.2pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
9.1%
3.9pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
19.3%
8.3pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
4
Median in-state tuition
$32,955
Median earnings (10 yr)
$43,411
- 4-Year
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, WV · 26201
- In-state tuition
- $34,090
- Out-of-state tuition
- $34,090
- Acceptance rate
- 93.3%
- Graduation rate
- 53.0%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $51,593
- Median student debt
- $27,000
- 4-Year
Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, WV · 26241
- In-state tuition
- $31,820
- Out-of-state tuition
- $31,820
- Acceptance rate
- 94.3%
- Graduation rate
- 37.8%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $43,411
- Median student debt
- $27,000
- 2-Year
Fred W Eberle Technical Center
Buckhannon, WV · 26201
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 98.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $43,364
- Median student debt
- —
- Certificate
Randolph Technical Center
Elkins, WV · 26241
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 75.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- —
- Median student debt
- —
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Helvetia, WV (ZIP 26224) sits in Randolph County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 52.2%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 4 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $32,955. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,695 per worker, roughly 30% below the US average. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1967 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 56.4" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. 23% of adults self-report fair or poor health (County Health Rankings, 2025) — above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 4-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 136 residents (57 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $31,792, fair market rent of $930 for a two-bedroom, and a 46.8% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($930/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 35% of median household income ($31,792, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($31,792, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 43.1% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 26.7%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 26224
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 26224?
43.1%, which is 10.1 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 26224?
26.7%, which is 4.7 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 26224?
52.2%, which is 20.2 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 26224?
171 people live in ZIP 26224, with a median age of 57.8 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 26224?
$31,792 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 26224 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 26224, 85.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.9% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 26224?
In ZIP 26224, 0.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 26224?
46.8% of the population in ZIP 26224 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 26224 have broadband internet?
89.7% of households in ZIP 26224 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 26224?
As of 2022, 4 business establishments operated in ZIP 26224 employing 12 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 26224?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 26224 is $41,333, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 26224 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 26224 ranks in the 45th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 26224?
Socioeconomic Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 26224, ranking in the 59th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 26224 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 27 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 26224 between 1967–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 26224?
Severe Storm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 26224, accounting for 9 of 27 declarations (33%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 26224?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 26224 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3639) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 26224?
4 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 26224 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including West Virginia Wesleyan College, Davis & Elkins College, and Fred W Eberle Technical Center (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 26224?
Median in-state tuition across 4 nearby institutions is $32,955 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 26224?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $43,411 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 26224?
ZIP 26224 has an average annual temperature of 51.8°F and 56.4" of annual precipitation based on the ROCK CAVE 2 NE, WV US weather station 10.5 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 26224?
West Virginia has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 4.82%. Combined sales tax: 6.59% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does West Virginia have paid family leave?
West Virginia has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 26224?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (4 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 26224
Nearby ZIPs by distance
26236 (3.6 mi) · 26237 (7.2 mi) · 26234 (Rock Cave, 7.3 mi) · 26280 (Mill Creek, 7.6 mi) · 26230 (Pickens, 8.3 mi) · 26218 (Rock Cave, 8.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 26224?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
45th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 781
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
19
Limited English Speakers
1
Persons with Disability
112
Without HS Diploma
99
Without Health Insurance
59
Adults Age 65+
139
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.