23438 ZIP Code — Suffolk, VA

Suffolk City County, Virginia

ZIP code 23438 is located in Suffolk, Virginia, within Suffolk City County. It covers approximately 39.71 square miles and serves a population of 1,685 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 757.

About ZIP code 23438

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $246,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($84,231) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 40% 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. An above-average commute of 43 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

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

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 23438 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,685

population

39.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23438 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Suffolk	Acceptable
Suffolk	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23437 Suffolk (5.4 mi) 27937 Gates (7.9 mi) 23434 Suffolk (9.7 mi) 27926 Corapeake (10 mi) 23315 Carrsville (11.5 mi) 27935 Eure (13.8 mi) 23851 Franklin (14.1 mi) 27979 Sunbury (14.4 mi) 27938 Gatesville (14.9 mi) 27946 Hobbsville (17.2 mi) 27986 Winton (18 mi) 23898 Zuni (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,685
Population density	42 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	800

Geography
Land area	39.71 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.5931
Longitude	-76.7246
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	757

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.1%	31.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	45.7%	30.1%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	30.7%	26.3%
Over $200k	9.3%	7.8%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,685

Population

People per sq mi

42.7

Median age

$84,231

Median household income

$47,094

Per capita income

$246,500

Median home value

$1,610

Median monthly rent

89.0%

Home ownership

13.6%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

642

Housing units

20.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

134

25–34

109

135

35–44

110

111

45–54

55–59

60–64

176

65–74

142

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	294	17.4%
18 and over	1,391	82.6%
65 and over	372	22.1%
Median age	42.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.6%

Black or African American 12.4%

Two or more races 5%

Asian 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Other race 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,338	78.6%
Black or African American	211	12.4%
Two or more races	85	5%
Asian	38	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	18	1.1%
Other race	13	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.1%	31.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	45.7%	30.1%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	30.7%	26.3%
Over $200k	9.3%	7.8%	11.6%

Under $10k 0.1%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 5.7%

$25k–$35k 3.8%

$35k–$50k 6.7%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 19.2%

$100k–$150k 28.6%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 5.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.1%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	5.7%
$25k–$35k	3.8%
$35k–$50k	6.7%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	19.2%
$100k–$150k	28.6%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	5.4%
Median income	$84,231

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 3.8%

$100k–$150k 2.5%

$150k–$200k 12.3%

$200k–$300k 35.0%

$300k–$500k 32.8%

$500k–$1M 6.4%

$1M+ 2.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$246,500
Median rent / month	$1,610
Owner occupied	89.0%
Renter occupied	11.0%
Vacant	4.2%
Single-family detached	95.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	4.5%
Median rooms	6.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	10.9%
2000–2009	12.7%
1990–1999	17.7%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	7.1%
1960–1969	15.6%
1950–1959	8.5%
1940–1949	3.5%
1939 or earlier	10.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.7%
2 bedrooms	19.9%
3 bedrooms	48.9%
4 bedrooms	27.2%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.5%
1 vehicle	27.3%
2 vehicles	42.7%
3 or more	28.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.5%
Electricity	62.4%
Propane / LP gas	15.4%
Fuel oil	8.4%
Wood	7.6%
No fuel used	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	416	60.5%
Cohabiting couple	20	2.9%
Male householder, no spouse	130	18.9%
Female householder, no spouse	122	17.7%
Households with children under 18	205	29.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	261	37.9%
Average household size	2.42

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.3%	9.2%
Married	62.9%	70.0%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	12.5%
Divorced	4.8%	8.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 4.0%

HS graduate 39.4%

Some college, no degree 21.6%

Associate's degree 13.2%

Bachelor's degree 15.9%

Graduate / professional 4.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.7%
Bachelor's or higher	20.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	73	29.0%
Elementary school	88	34.9%
High school	33	13.1%
College / grad school	58	23.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Transportation & utilities 15.3%

Manufacturing 12.4%

Public administration 10.9%

Professional & management 10.1%

Construction 8.8%

Other services 8.2%

Finance & real estate 5.8%

Retail trade 4.4%

Information 2.4%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.0%
Service	13.2%
Sales & office	20.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.3%
Production & transportation	24.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	68.5%
Government	27.9%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.9%
Carpool	5.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	8.0%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	42.6

Poverty

All people 13.6%

Under 18 years 18.0%

18 and over 12.7%

Married-couple families 7.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.5%
Retirement income	29.1%
Supplemental Security	1.6%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.4%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.5%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	24.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	21.2%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.4%
Visited dentist	66.5%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	13.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	174	12.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	10.9%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	80.2%
Public insurance	35.6%
No insurance	3.8%
Uninsured under 19	3.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,605	95.3%
Spanish	13	0.8%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	7	0.4%
Other languages	6	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,665	98.8%
Born in same state	1,639	97.3%
Born in different state	957	56.8%
Foreign born	26	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	20	1.2%
Not a US citizen	20	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	283	16.8%
Italian	108	6.4%
Arab	104	6.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	23	1.4%
Irish	22	1.3%
English	14	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.8%
Internet access	94.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23438

What city is ZIP code 23438 in?

ZIP code 23438 is primarily assigned to Suffolk, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23438 in?

ZIP code 23438 falls within Suffolk City County, Virginia.

Is ZIP code 23438 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 23438 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 23438 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 23438 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 23438 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 23438 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 23438?

ZIP code 23438 has an estimated population of 1,685 residents, with a density of 42 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 23438 in?

ZIP code 23438 observes the EST timezone.