23970 ZIP Code — South Hill, VA

Mecklenburg County, Virginia

ZIP code 23970 is located in South Hill, Virginia, within Mecklenburg County. It covers approximately 121.54 square miles and serves a population of 7,869 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 434.

About ZIP code 23970

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 $158,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 56%.

Median household income is $50,673. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. 39% 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 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 23970 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,869

population

121.54

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23970 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23970

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23970. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
South Hill	Acceptable
South Hill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23915 Baskerville (5.6 mi) 23950 La Crosse (7.6 mi) 23950 La Crosse (7.6 mi) 23917 Boydton (8.5 mi) 23919 Bracey (10.5 mi) 23944 Kenbridge (11 mi) 23920 Brodnax (11.5 mi) 23952 Lunenburg (12.9 mi) 23924 Chase City (13.6 mi) 23938 Dundas (14.7 mi) 23845 Ebony (15.2 mi) 23974 Victoria (15.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,869
Population density	65 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	117

Geography
Land area	121.54 sq mi
Water area	0.39 sq mi
Latitude	36.7445
Longitude	-78.1866
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	434

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.6%	49.8%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	34.2%	31.4%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	15.8%	26.3%
Over $200k	4.8%	3.0%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

7,869

Population

People per sq mi

41.0

Median age

$50,673

Median household income

$33,180

Per capita income

$158,100

Median home value

$884

Median monthly rent

55.9%

Home ownership

22.1%

Poverty rate

3.4%

Unemployment

2,426

Housing units

23.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

186

Under 5

183

128

5–9

125

314

10–14

307

273

15–19

267

263

20–24

258

533

25–34

523

455

35–44

446

45–54

437

261

55–59

256

229

60–64

224

486

65–74

477

231

75–84

227

169

85+

165

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,673	21.3%
18 and over	6,196	78.7%
65 and over	1,755	22.3%
Median age	41.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 52.6%

Black or African American 37.9%

Two or more races 3.5%

Asian 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Other race 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	4,218	52.6%
Black or African American	3,035	37.9%
Two or more races	284	3.5%
Asian	262	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	145	1.8%
Other race	70	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.6%	49.8%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	34.2%	31.4%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	15.8%	26.3%
Over $200k	4.8%	3.0%	11.6%

Under $10k 14.9%

$10k–$15k 8.3%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 7.9%

$35k–$50k 9.5%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 12.3%

$100k–$150k 11.8%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k+ 5.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	14.9%
$10k–$15k	8.3%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	7.9%
$35k–$50k	9.5%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	12.3%
$100k–$150k	11.8%
$150k–$200k	6.3%
$200k+	5.1%
Median income	$50,673

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.6%

$50k–$100k 19.8%

$100k–$150k 21.1%

$150k–$200k 10.2%

$200k–$300k 25.8%

$300k–$500k 8.8%

$500k–$1M 6.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$158,100
Median rent / month	$884
Owner occupied	55.9%
Renter occupied	44.1%
Vacant	11.9%
Single-family detached	65.0%
Large apartment buildings	2.9%
Mobile homes	12.3%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	6.4%
2000–2009	11.9%
1990–1999	18.9%
1980–1989	6.2%
1970–1979	19.0%
1960–1969	12.0%
1950–1959	15.1%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	5.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.4%
1 bedroom	6.6%
2 bedrooms	27.2%
3 bedrooms	49.7%
4 bedrooms	12.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.1%
1 vehicle	34.8%
2 vehicles	29.7%
3 or more	22.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	18.2%
Electricity	61.0%
Propane / LP gas	9.4%
Fuel oil	5.5%
Wood	4.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,024	29.3%
Cohabiting couple	205	5.9%
Male householder, no spouse	764	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	1,504	43.0%
Households with children under 18	837	23.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,290	36.9%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	45.5%	26.8%
Married	35.9%	32.8%
Separated	5.5%	2.0%
Widowed	1.5%	17.9%
Divorced	11.6%	20.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.6%

Some HS, no diploma 9.0%

HS graduate 33.8%

Some college, no degree 18.6%

Associate's degree 8.6%

Bachelor's degree 11.0%

Graduate / professional 12.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.4%
Bachelor's or higher	23.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	117	7.2%
Kindergarten	134	8.3%
Elementary school	690	42.6%
High school	483	29.8%
College / grad school	196	12.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.1%

Retail trade 15.9%

Manufacturing 14.5%

Construction 8.6%

Transportation & utilities 7.1%

Public administration 5.9%

Professional & management 4.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.0%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Other services 3.1%

Information 3.0%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.4%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	13.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	23.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	18.0%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.5%
Carpool	7.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	4.9%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.7

Poverty

All people 22.1%

Under 18 years 20.8%

18 and over 22.4%

Married-couple families 2.9%

Female-led households 45.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.3%
Retirement income	25.5%
Supplemental Security	6.7%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.2%
High blood pressure	41.7%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	15.6%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	32.1%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	12.5%
No physical activity	29.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.8%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	20.8%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	15.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.8%
Visited dentist	60.9%
Cholesterol screening	91.4%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	494	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.3%
Under 18	5.1%
18–64 years	14.7%
65 and over	46.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.0%
Public insurance	39.7%
No insurance	10.6%
Uninsured under 19	5.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,500	95.3%
Spanish	93	1.2%
Other Indo-European	93	1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,260	92.3%
Born in same state	7,260	92.3%
Born in different state	5,505	70.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	609	7.7%
Not a US citizen	164	26.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,627	20.7%
French	816	10.4%
Italian	290	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	35	0.4%
Polish	22	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.4%
Internet access	78.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23970

What city is ZIP code 23970 in?

ZIP code 23970 is primarily assigned to South Hill, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23970 in?

ZIP code 23970 falls within Mecklenburg County, Virginia.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23970?

22% of residents in ZIP code 23970 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 23970 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 23970 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 23970?

Health data for ZIP code 23970 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 23970?

The median home value in ZIP code 23970 is $158,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 23970 in?

ZIP code 23970 observes the EST timezone.