23704 ZIP Code — Portsmouth, VA

Portsmouth City County, Virginia

ZIP code 23704 is located in Portsmouth, Virginia, within Portsmouth City County. It covers approximately 4.52 square miles and serves a population of 18,125 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 757.

About ZIP code 23704

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 $171,900. Renters make up the majority at 64%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $43,680. Poverty affects 26% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 27% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 31% 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 24 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 (46%), diabetes (18%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 23704 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

18,125

population

4.52

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23704 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23704

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23704. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Portsmouth	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23709 Portsmouth (0.9 mi) 23702 Portsmouth (1.3 mi) 23707 Portsmouth (1.7 mi) 23708 Portsmouth (1.9 mi) 23326 Chesapeake (2.3 mi) 23515 Norfolk (2.4 mi) 23551 Norfolk (2.4 mi) 23510 Norfolk (2.4 mi) 23519 Norfolk (2.6 mi) 23324 Chesapeake (2.7 mi) 23523 Norfolk (2.7 mi) 23701 Portsmouth (3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,125
Population density	4,010 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	740

Geography
Land area	4.52 sq mi
Water area	0.50 sq mi
Latitude	36.8220
Longitude	-76.3171
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	56.5%	47.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	33.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	16.1%	26.3%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.6%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

18,125

Population

4,010

People per sq mi

35.9

Median age

$43,680

Median household income

$28,979

Per capita income

$171,900

Median home value

$1,211

Median monthly rent

35.7%

Home ownership

25.9%

Poverty rate

9.4%

Unemployment

4,042

Housing units

20.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

568

Under 5

634

444

5–9

494

528

10–14

588

541

15–19

603

585

20–24

653

1,544

25–34

1,722

960

35–44

1,071

833

45–54

929

691

55–59

771

554

60–64

618

768

65–74

856

384

75–84

429

169

85+

188

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,975	21.9%
18 and over	14,150	78.1%
65 and over	2,794	15.4%
Median age	35.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 66%

White 23.9%

Two or more races 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

Other race 1.6%

Asian 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	12,223	66%
White	4,434	23.9%
Two or more races	902	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	397	2.1%
Other race	292	1.6%
Asian	195	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	71	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.5%	47.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	33.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	16.1%	26.3%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.6%	11.6%

Under $10k 13.0%

$10k–$15k 8.7%

$15k–$25k 10.2%

$25k–$35k 9.4%

$35k–$50k 14.1%

$50k–$75k 16.0%

$75k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 9.8%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.0%
$10k–$15k	8.7%
$15k–$25k	10.2%
$25k–$35k	9.4%
$35k–$50k	14.1%
$50k–$75k	16.0%
$75k–$100k	12.1%
$100k–$150k	9.8%
$150k–$200k	3.4%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$43,680

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.7%

$50k–$100k 9.7%

$100k–$150k 27.3%

$150k–$200k 18.5%

$200k–$300k 29.0%

$300k–$500k 11.7%

$500k–$1M 1.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$171,900
Median rent / month	$1,211
Owner occupied	35.7%
Renter occupied	64.3%
Vacant	12.3%
Single-family detached	42.5%
Large apartment buildings	19.7%
Mobile homes	0.8%
Median rooms	4.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.0%
2000–2009	7.6%
1990–1999	6.6%
1980–1989	8.5%
1970–1979	11.2%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	9.2%
1940–1949	17.5%
1939 or earlier	25.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.9%
1 bedroom	20.4%
2 bedrooms	37.7%
3 bedrooms	26.3%
4 bedrooms	9.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	22.9%
1 vehicle	43.0%
2 vehicles	23.9%
3 or more	10.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	38.9%
Electricity	55.7%
Propane / LP gas	2.9%
Fuel oil	1.3%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,870	23.0%
Cohabiting couple	574	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	2,025	24.9%
Female householder, no spouse	3,654	45.0%
Households with children under 18	2,061	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,141	26.4%
Average household size	2.15

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.3%	42.9%
Married	31.6%	24.6%
Separated	5.4%	5.6%
Widowed	2.6%	9.9%
Divorced	14.1%	17.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 8.9%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 25.7%

Associate's degree 7.8%

Bachelor's degree 10.5%

Graduate / professional 10.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.2%
Bachelor's or higher	20.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	261	6.8%
Kindergarten	171	4.5%
Elementary school	1,599	41.7%
High school	1,079	28.1%
College / grad school	728	19.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.9%

Retail trade 11.3%

Professional & management 11.2%

Manufacturing 10.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.1%

Other services 6.5%

Public administration 6.1%

Transportation & utilities 5.7%

Construction 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.5%

Information 0.8%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.7%
Service	24.2%
Sales & office	20.3%
Natural resources & construction	5.4%
Production & transportation	12.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.8%
Government	26.8%
Self-employed	5.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.2%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	4.2%
Walk	5.2%
Work from home	5.0%
Other means	6.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.0

Poverty

All people 25.9%

Under 18 years 36.2%

18 and over 23.1%

Married-couple families 5.0%

Female-led households 43.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.7%
Retirement income	18.2%
Supplemental Security	5.4%
Cash public assistance	4.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	46.3%
High blood pressure	44.3%
High cholesterol	29.7%
Diabetes	17.8%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	12.2%
Arthritis	28.6%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	5.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.0%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	34.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	45.8%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	23.6%
Poor mental health	15.7%
Poor physical health	13.2%
No health insurance	17.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.8%
Visited dentist	53.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	20.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,616	12.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.4%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	16.4%
65 and over	42.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	48.6%
Public insurance	53.4%
No insurance	9.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	16,923	93.4%
Spanish	165	1.0%
Other Indo-European	101	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	20	0.1%
Other languages	44	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,694	97.6%
Born in same state	17,528	96.7%
Born in different state	12,072	66.6%
Foreign born	166	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	431	2.4%
Not a US citizen	200	46.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,068	5.9%
French	803	4.4%
Italian	557	3.1%
German	50	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	33	0.2%
Irish	10	0.1%
Polish	9	0%
Dutch	7	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.8%
Internet access	91.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23704

What city is ZIP code 23704 in?

ZIP code 23704 is primarily assigned to Portsmouth, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23704 in?

ZIP code 23704 falls within Portsmouth City County, Virginia.

Is ZIP code 23704 mostly rentals?

64% of occupied units in ZIP code 23704 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23704?

26% of residents in ZIP code 23704 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 23704?

Health data for ZIP code 23704 shows elevated rates of obesity (46%) and diabetes (18%) and smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Does ZIP code 23704 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 23704 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 23704 in?

ZIP code 23704 observes the EST timezone.