26537 Property Tax Rate
Kingwood, West Virginia · Part of Preston County
Effective Tax Rate
0.55%
41.3% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$934
$78/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$934
Monthly
$78
Eff. Rate
0.55%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 26537 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$78/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.02 percentage points above the West Virginia average
West Virginia average: 0.54%
Data confidence
Moderate confidenceThe Census margin of error is $155, about 17% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Preston County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 26537 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Moderate ACS confidence
$155 tax MOE, 17% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County context only
Preston County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 26537
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $169,000, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.55%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on West Virginia and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $78 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Preston County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 26537 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 26537
0.55%
Effective rate
West Virginia Avg
0.54%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in West Virginia
Higher than 58% of ZIP codes in West Virginia(58th percentile, 512 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 26537
Property owners in ZIP code 26537 (Kingwood, West Virginia) pay a median of $934/year in property taxes on homes valued at $169,000. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.55%, which is near the West Virginia state average of 0.54%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 26537 is approximately $78, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Preston County. This is $273 more than the West Virginia average of $661/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in West Virginia, 26537 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 26571 (0.55%) and 24963 (0.55%).
In Kingwood, property taxes represent approximately 1.6% of the median household income of $57,788, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
If you're considering purchasing a home in 26537, keep in mind that property taxes are based on the assessed value assigned by the local assessor, which may differ from the purchase price. In some states, properties are reassessed at or near the sale price upon transfer of ownership. For the most current tax information for a specific property, consult Preston County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 26537?
How much are property taxes in Kingwood, WV (26537)?
How does ZIP 26537 compare to the West Virginia average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 26537?
What county is ZIP code 26537 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$155. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 26537 is part of Preston County, West Virginia. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Preston County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 26537
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
26524
Bretz, WV
0.26 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.29%
Tax
$456
Quality
67
26705
Aurora, WV
0.22 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.34%
Tax
$517
Quality
77
26520
Arthurdale, WV
0.14 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$830
Quality
74
26525
Bruceton Mills, WV
0.11 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.44%
Tax
$904
Quality
77
26547
Reedsville, WV
0.09 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.46%
Tax
$863
Quality
77
26716
Eglon, WV
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.48%
Tax
$747
Quality
71
26374
Independence, WV
0.06 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.49%
Tax
$702
Quality
82
26764
Terra Alta, WV
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 26537.
Rate
0.53%
Tax
$708
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.