23523 ZIP Code — Norfolk, VA

Norfolk City County, Virginia

ZIP code 23523 is located in Norfolk, Virginia, within Norfolk City County. It covers approximately 2.09 square miles and serves a population of 7,352 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 757.

About ZIP code 23523

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $205,100. Renters make up the majority at 68%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $34,201. Poverty affects 35% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 41% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (50%), diabetes (19%), smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 23523 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

7,352

population

2.09

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23523 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23523

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23523. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Norfolk	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23326 Chesapeake (1 mi) 23515 Norfolk (1.4 mi) 23551 Norfolk (1.4 mi) 23519 Norfolk (1.6 mi) 23709 Portsmouth (1.9 mi) 23510 Norfolk (1.9 mi) 23325 Chesapeake (2.1 mi) 23324 Chesapeake (2.1 mi) 23504 Norfolk (2.2 mi) 23708 Portsmouth (2.3 mi) 23704 Portsmouth (2.7 mi) 23517 Norfolk (2.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,352
Population density	3,518 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	710

Geography
Land area	2.09 sq mi
Water area	0.83 sq mi
Latitude	36.8320
Longitude	-76.2699
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	757

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	66.1%	46.9%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	25.1%	31.8%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	17.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.5%	4.1%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

7,352

Population

3,518

People per sq mi

30.9

Median age

$34,201

Median household income

$19,437

Per capita income

$205,100

Median home value

$991

Median monthly rent

31.8%

Home ownership

34.7%

Poverty rate

8.1%

Unemployment

1,317

Housing units

11.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

341

Under 5

441

152

5–9

195

339

10–14

437

282

15–19

364

152

20–24

196

523

25–34

675

365

35–44

472

285

45–54

368

343

55–59

442

151

60–64

194

170

65–74

219

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,356	32.0%
18 and over	4,996	68.0%
65 and over	635	8.6%
Median age	30.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 92.5%

White 4.5%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	6,869	92.5%
White	333	4.5%
Two or more races	138	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	75	1%
Other race	11	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	66.1%	46.9%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	25.1%	31.8%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	17.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.5%	4.1%	11.6%

Under $10k 18.0%

$10k–$15k 10.5%

$15k–$25k 8.5%

$25k–$35k 15.8%

$35k–$50k 7.2%

$50k–$75k 17.4%

$75k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 7.6%

$150k–$200k 3.1%

$200k+ 1.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	18.0%
$10k–$15k	10.5%
$15k–$25k	8.5%
$25k–$35k	15.8%
$35k–$50k	7.2%
$50k–$75k	17.4%
$75k–$100k	10.6%
$100k–$150k	7.6%
$150k–$200k	3.1%
$200k+	1.4%
Median income	$34,201

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.0%

$50k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 9.7%

$150k–$200k 20.7%

$200k–$300k 50.4%

$300k–$500k 3.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$205,100
Median rent / month	$991
Owner occupied	31.8%
Renter occupied	68.2%
Vacant	11.4%
Single-family detached	41.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.9%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.86

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	19.7%
2000–2009	4.7%
1990–1999	3.2%
1980–1989	13.1%
1970–1979	9.8%
1960–1969	7.8%
1950–1959	13.9%
1940–1949	6.6%
1939 or earlier	20.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	12.1%
2 bedrooms	28.6%
3 bedrooms	39.6%
4 bedrooms	19.4%
5+ bedrooms	0.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	26.8%
1 vehicle	41.5%
2 vehicles	24.3%
3 or more	7.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	21.3%
Electricity	69.9%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	1.0%
No fuel used	5.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	450	15.3%
Cohabiting couple	140	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	473	16.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,884	63.9%
Households with children under 18	1,216	41.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	601	20.4%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	60.9%	51.8%
Married	29.9%	17.6%
Separated	2.5%	4.3%
Widowed	0.8%	9.9%
Divorced	6.0%	16.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.5%

Some HS, no diploma 18.7%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 26.0%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 8.3%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	77.8%
Bachelor's or higher	11.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	169	7.0%
Kindergarten	116	4.8%
Elementary school	872	35.9%
High school	591	24.3%
College / grad school	682	28.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.4%

Professional & management 13.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.8%

Retail trade 11.3%

Manufacturing 11.2%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Public administration 4.5%

Wholesale trade 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 3.7%

Other services 3.4%

Information 2.2%

Construction 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.5%
Service	26.9%
Sales & office	21.8%
Natural resources & construction	5.3%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.9%
Government	19.6%
Self-employed	2.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	56.4%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	10.0%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	16.9%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 34.7%

Under 18 years 44.1%

18 and over 30.3%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 43.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.2%
Retirement income	17.0%
Supplemental Security	13.6%
Cash public assistance	4.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	41.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	49.5%
High blood pressure	47.2%
High cholesterol	28.7%
Diabetes	18.7%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	6.0%
Asthma	14.5%
Arthritis	29.4%
Kidney disease	4.5%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	5.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.2%
Binge drinking	11.1%
No physical activity	35.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	49.7%
Depression	19.9%
Fair or poor health	29.2%
Poor mental health	18.3%
Poor physical health	15.2%
No health insurance	20.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.4%
Visited dentist	45.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	26.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	381	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.5%
Under 18	6.0%
18–64 years	16.0%
65 and over	47.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	39.9%
Public insurance	58.1%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,570	89.4%
Spanish	27	0.4%
Other Indo-European	26	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,276	99.0%
Born in same state	7,237	98.4%
Born in different state	5,765	78.4%
Foreign born	39	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	76	1.0%
Not a US citizen	68	89.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	102	1.4%
Italian	90	1.2%
French	66	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	16	0.2%
German	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.1%
Internet access	88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23523

What city is ZIP code 23523 in?

ZIP code 23523 is primarily assigned to Norfolk, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23523 in?

ZIP code 23523 falls within Norfolk City County, Virginia.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23523?

35% of residents in ZIP code 23523 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 23523 mostly rentals?

68% of occupied units in ZIP code 23523 are renter-occupied.

Is ZIP code 23523 family-oriented?

32% of residents in ZIP code 23523 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 23523?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 23523 in?

ZIP code 23523 observes the EST timezone.