23803 ZIP Code — Petersburg, VA

Petersburg City County, Virginia

ZIP code 23803 is located in Petersburg, Virginia, within Petersburg City County. It covers approximately 72.18 square miles and serves a population of 41,913 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 804.

About ZIP code 23803

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $183,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 50%.

Median household income is $53,876. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), diabetes (16%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 23803 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

41,913

population

72.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23803 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23803

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23803. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Petersburg	Acceptable
Petersburg	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23806 Virginia State University (3.4 mi) 23885 Sutherland (6.4 mi) 23805 Petersburg (7 mi) 23834 Colonial Heights (7.1 mi) 23801 Fort Lee (7.4 mi) 23831 Chester (9 mi) 23833 Church Road (11 mi) 23875 Prince George (11.2 mi) 23841 Dinwiddie (12.1 mi) 23838 Chesterfield (12.4 mi) 23836 Chester (13 mi) 23237 Richmond (13.4 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	41,913
Population density	581 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	730

Geography
Land area	72.18 sq mi
Water area	2.01 sq mi
Latitude	37.2060
Longitude	-77.4661
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	804

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.9%	51.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	31.1%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	15.1%	26.3%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.8%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

41,913

Population

581

People per sq mi

36.1

Median age

$53,876

Median household income

$27,619

Per capita income

$183,600

Median home value

$1,080

Median monthly rent

50.3%

Home ownership

21.1%

Poverty rate

9.9%

Unemployment

11,486

Housing units

20.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,178

Under 5

1,253

1,392

5–9

1,480

1,128

10–14

1,199

1,398

15–19

1,488

1,941

20–24

2,065

2,783

25–34

2,960

2,302

35–44

2,448

2,289

45–54

2,436

1,452

55–59

1,544

1,344

60–64

1,430

1,919

65–74

2,042

870

75–84

926

313

85+

333

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,144	21.8%
18 and over	32,769	78.2%
65 and over	6,403	15.3%
Median age	36.1 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 59.3%

White 33.3%

Two or more races 3.9%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 0.8%

Asian 0.6%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	25,364	59.3%
White	14,246	33.3%
Two or more races	1,659	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	838	2%
Other race	351	0.8%
Asian	258	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.9%	51.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	31.1%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	15.1%	26.3%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.8%	11.6%

Under $10k 9.5%

$10k–$15k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 8.1%

$35k–$50k 12.7%

$50k–$75k 22.1%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 12.1%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k+ 4.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.5%
$10k–$15k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	8.1%
$35k–$50k	12.7%
$50k–$75k	22.1%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	12.1%
$150k–$200k	3.5%
$200k+	4.9%
Median income	$53,876

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.7%

$50k–$100k 12.8%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 21.9%

$200k–$300k 24.4%

$300k–$500k 14.8%

$500k–$1M 3.8%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$183,600
Median rent / month	$1,080
Owner occupied	50.3%
Renter occupied	49.7%
Vacant	16.6%
Single-family detached	64.2%
Large apartment buildings	10.2%
Mobile homes	4.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	5.2%
2000–2009	8.9%
1990–1999	10.0%
1980–1989	11.2%
1970–1979	17.9%
1960–1969	12.1%
1950–1959	13.4%
1940–1949	6.1%
1939 or earlier	14.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.4%
1 bedroom	13.1%
2 bedrooms	27.7%
3 bedrooms	39.4%
4 bedrooms	14.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.7%
1 vehicle	37.0%
2 vehicles	26.9%
3 or more	22.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	21.6%
Electricity	68.0%
Propane / LP gas	5.6%
Fuel oil	3.1%
Wood	0.4%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,730	28.9%
Cohabiting couple	1,167	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	3,547	21.7%
Female householder, no spouse	6,903	42.2%
Households with children under 18	4,561	27.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,899	30.0%
Average household size	2.40

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.4%	46.0%
Married	34.3%	29.7%
Separated	3.6%	3.1%
Widowed	3.0%	10.2%
Divorced	9.7%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.6%

Some HS, no diploma 8.3%

HS graduate 37.0%

Some college, no degree 21.0%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 12.6%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	20.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	487	4.4%
Kindergarten	578	5.3%
Elementary school	3,751	34.2%
High school	2,041	18.6%
College / grad school	4,114	37.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.2%

Retail trade 13.3%

Manufacturing 10.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.8%

Professional & management 8.2%

Public administration 8.0%

Construction 7.4%

Other services 5.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.8%

Finance & real estate 4.8%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.8%
Service	22.0%
Sales & office	22.9%
Natural resources & construction	8.4%
Production & transportation	18.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.5%
Government	24.3%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.7%
Carpool	7.7%
Public transit	2.8%
Walk	2.4%
Work from home	8.4%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.1

Poverty

All people 21.1%

Under 18 years 30.3%

18 and over 18.4%

Married-couple families 5.5%

Female-led households 33.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.3%
Retirement income	29.0%
Supplemental Security	9.6%
Cash public assistance	3.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.8%
High blood pressure	42.5%
High cholesterol	31.8%
Diabetes	15.8%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	11.9%
Arthritis	27.9%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.8%
Binge drinking	12.9%
No physical activity	30.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	42.0%
Depression	19.2%
Fair or poor health	21.7%
Poor mental health	15.6%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	16.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.1%
Visited dentist	57.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	20.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,781	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	6.1%
18–64 years	18.8%
65 and over	41.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.4%
Public insurance	46.7%
No insurance	8.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	39,482	94.2%
Spanish	904	2.3%
Other Indo-European	750	1.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	36	0.1%
Other languages	78	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	40,354	96.3%
Born in same state	39,599	94.5%
Born in different state	29,018	69.2%
Foreign born	755	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	1,559	3.7%
Not a US citizen	336	21.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,800	6.7%
Italian	1,570	3.7%
Arab	1,554	3.7%
Polish	64	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	31	0.1%
Irish	12	0%
German	11	0%
English	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.0%
Internet access	90.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23803

What city is ZIP code 23803 in?

ZIP code 23803 is primarily assigned to Petersburg, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23803 in?

ZIP code 23803 falls within Petersburg City County, Virginia.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23803?

21% of residents in ZIP code 23803 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 23803?

Health data for ZIP code 23803 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (16%) and smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 23803?

The median home value in ZIP code 23803 is $183,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 23803?

ZIP code 23803 has an estimated population of 41,913 residents, with a density of 581 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 23803 in?

ZIP code 23803 observes the EST timezone.