23856 ZIP Code — Freeman, VA

Brunswick County, Virginia

ZIP code 23856 is located in Freeman, Virginia, within Brunswick County. It covers approximately 51.18 square miles and serves a population of 881 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 804.

About ZIP code 23856

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $104,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 47%.

Median household income is $40,711. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 26% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (19%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 17% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 23856 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

881

population

51.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23856 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23856

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23856. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Freeman	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23843 Dolphin (6.4 mi) 23868 Lawrenceville (7.4 mi) 23889 Warfield (7.4 mi) 23867 Jarratt (12.1 mi) 23847 Emporia (12.4 mi) 23876 Rawlings (12.8 mi) 23821 Alberta (13.2 mi) 23872 Mc Kenney (13.7 mi) 23870 Jarratt (14 mi) 23879 Skippers (15.2 mi) 23920 Brodnax (15.3 mi) 23887 Valentines (16.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	881
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	51.18 sq mi
Water area	0.30 sq mi
Latitude	36.7907
Longitude	-77.7162
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	804

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.4%	52.8%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	33.0%	31.4%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	15.7%	12.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.5%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

881

Population

People per sq mi

51.0

Median age

$40,711

Median household income

$34,382

Per capita income

$104,400

Median home value

Median monthly rent

46.8%

Home ownership

18.8%

Poverty rate

1.5%

Unemployment

393

Housing units

9.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

25–34

35–44

113

45–54

100

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	53	6.0%
18 and over	828	94.0%
65 and over	208	23.6%
Median age	51.0 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 75.3%

White 20.3%

Two or more races 4.4%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	663	75.3%
White	179	20.3%
Two or more races	39	4.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.4%	52.8%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	33.0%	31.4%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	15.7%	12.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.5%	11.6%

Under $10k 1.1%

$10k–$15k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 29.9%

$25k–$35k 0.9%

$35k–$50k 27.2%

$50k–$75k 16.5%

$75k–$100k 8.9%

$100k–$150k 7.6%

$150k–$200k 4.8%

$200k+ 1.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.1%
$10k–$15k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	29.9%
$25k–$35k	0.9%
$35k–$50k	27.2%
$50k–$75k	16.5%
$75k–$100k	8.9%
$100k–$150k	7.6%
$150k–$200k	4.8%
$200k+	1.7%
Median income	$40,711

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 23.7%

$50k–$100k 20.2%

$100k–$150k 36.8%

$200k–$300k 17.8%

$300k–$500k 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$104,400
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	46.8%
Renter occupied	53.2%
Vacant	20.6%
Single-family detached	45.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	54.9%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	1.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.2%
2000–2009	17.8%
1990–1999	21.1%
1980–1989	17.8%
1970–1979	20.6%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	5.9%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	6.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.9%
2 bedrooms	39.5%
3 bedrooms	42.0%
4 bedrooms	12.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	14.6%
1 vehicle	21.3%
2 vehicles	56.4%
3 or more	7.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.5%
Electricity	47.7%
Propane / LP gas	12.6%
Fuel oil	28.3%
Wood	6.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	81	15.0%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	262	48.4%
Female householder, no spouse	198	36.6%
Households with children under 18	43	7.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	199	36.8%
Average household size	1.63

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	51.1%	60.5%
Married	24.3%	17.6%
Separated	6.9%	3.8%
Widowed	8.3%	4.8%
Divorced	9.4%	13.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.5%

Some HS, no diploma 24.6%

HS graduate 38.1%

Some college, no degree 21.3%

Associate's degree 2.4%

Bachelor's degree 7.6%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	71.0%
Bachelor's or higher	9.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	30	24.4%
High school	6	4.9%
College / grad school	87	70.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Public administration 15.9%

Transportation & utilities 14.4%

Retail trade 14.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.5%

Professional & management 9.3%

Manufacturing 5.4%

Construction 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.9%

Other services 1.1%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.2%
Service	32.3%
Sales & office	22.6%
Natural resources & construction	3.2%
Production & transportation	16.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	68.4%
Government	19.6%
Self-employed	12.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.2%
Carpool	20.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	2.5%
Other means	7.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.5

Poverty

All people 18.8%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 20.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 60.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.3%
Retirement income	28.5%
Supplemental Security	4.3%
Cash public assistance	4.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	26.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.0%
High blood pressure	48.0%
High cholesterol	35.9%
Diabetes	18.7%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	5.5%
Asthma	11.8%
Arthritis	33.3%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.2%
Binge drinking	11.7%
No physical activity	31.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.3%
Depression	18.8%
Fair or poor health	24.2%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	13.7%
No health insurance	16.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.0%
Visited dentist	56.1%
Cholesterol screening	91.7%
Teeth loss	20.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	137	16.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.0%
Under 18	18.9%
18–64 years	2.7%
65 and over	38.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.7%
Public insurance	51.3%
No insurance	10.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	864	98.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	881	100.0%
Born in same state	869	98.6%
Born in different state	672	76.3%
Foreign born	12	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	21	2.4%
Italian	19	2.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	8	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	61.4%
Internet access	78.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23856

What city is ZIP code 23856 in?

ZIP code 23856 is primarily assigned to Freeman, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23856 in?

ZIP code 23856 falls within Brunswick County, Virginia.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 23856?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23856?

19% of residents in ZIP code 23856 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 23856 have a large veteran population?

17% of civilians in ZIP code 23856 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 23856 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 23856 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 23856 in?

ZIP code 23856 observes the EST timezone.