23888 ZIP Code — Wakefield, VA

Sussex County, Virginia

ZIP code 23888 is located in Wakefield, Virginia, within Sussex County. It covers approximately 86.65 square miles and serves a population of 2,485 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 757.

About ZIP code 23888

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $171,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

Median household income is $61,797. 38% 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. An above-average commute of 38 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 18% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 23888 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,485

population

86.65

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

23888 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 23888

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 23888. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wakefield	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

23866 Ivor (6.3 mi) 23890 Waverly (8 mi) 23891 Waverly (9.5 mi) 23878 Sedley (9.5 mi) 23839 Dendron (9.8 mi) 23898 Zuni (10.2 mi) 23837 Courtland (14.5 mi) 23487 Windsor (15.5 mi) 23315 Carrsville (16.6 mi) 23430 Smithfield (17.7 mi) 23881 Spring Grove (17.9 mi) 23883 Surry (18.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,485
Population density	29 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	183

Geography
Land area	86.65 sq mi
Water area	0.70 sq mi
Latitude	36.9464
Longitude	-76.9748
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	47.8%	44.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	35.4%	34.3%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	19.8%	26.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.5%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

2,485

Population

People per sq mi

37.9

Median age

$61,797

Median household income

$36,709

Per capita income

$171,900

Median home value

$988

Median monthly rent

67.1%

Home ownership

9.1%

Poverty rate

2.9%

Unemployment

814

Housing units

18.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

197

20–24

158

207

25–34

166

35–44

198

45–54

160

55–59

134

60–64

108

142

65–74

115

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	398	16.0%
18 and over	2,087	84.0%
65 and over	460	18.5%
Median age	37.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 50.3%

White 39.9%

Two or more races 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

Other race 2.1%

Asian 2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	1,282	50.3%
White	1,017	39.9%
Two or more races	83	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	66	2.6%
Other race	53	2.1%
Asian	50	2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.8%	44.4%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	35.4%	34.3%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	19.8%	26.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.5%	11.6%

Under $10k 4.5%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$25k–$35k 6.5%

$35k–$50k 12.7%

$50k–$75k 23.9%

$75k–$100k 12.8%

$100k–$150k 18.5%

$150k–$200k 2.2%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$25k–$35k	6.5%
$35k–$50k	12.7%
$50k–$75k	23.9%
$75k–$100k	12.8%
$100k–$150k	18.5%
$150k–$200k	2.2%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$61,797

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.4%

$50k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 18.9%

$150k–$200k 13.3%

$200k–$300k 24.2%

$300k–$500k 16.5%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$171,900
Median rent / month	$988
Owner occupied	67.1%
Renter occupied	32.9%
Vacant	16.3%
Single-family detached	76.8%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	13.4%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.76

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.9%
2000–2009	11.0%
1990–1999	10.6%
1980–1989	7.9%
1970–1979	20.5%
1960–1969	11.7%
1950–1959	10.4%
1940–1949	6.9%
1939 or earlier	15.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	24.6%
3 bedrooms	49.1%
4 bedrooms	15.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.1%
1 vehicle	33.3%
2 vehicles	29.3%
3 or more	27.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.6%
Electricity	60.3%
Propane / LP gas	13.1%
Fuel oil	16.2%
Wood	5.2%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	375	39.9%
Cohabiting couple	70	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	209	22.2%
Female householder, no spouse	286	30.4%
Households with children under 18	234	24.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	343	36.5%
Average household size	2.63

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.4%	33.7%
Married	33.7%	44.5%
Separated	4.8%	2.8%
Widowed	2.3%	12.6%
Divorced	9.9%	6.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.5%

HS graduate 38.1%

Some college, no degree 24.2%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 15.2%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.7%
Bachelor's or higher	18.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	8	1.7%
Elementary school	217	45.6%
High school	67	14.1%
College / grad school	184	38.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.3%

Retail trade 18.6%

Manufacturing 18.0%

Public administration 8.0%

Construction 7.6%

Professional & management 4.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.1%

Finance & real estate 3.1%

Transportation & utilities 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Other services 1.2%

Information 1.1%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.0%
Service	26.9%
Sales & office	14.5%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	23.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.7%
Government	18.6%
Self-employed	2.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.3%
Carpool	5.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	38.0

Poverty

All people 9.1%

Under 18 years 5.6%

18 and over 9.7%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 7.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.4%
Retirement income	31.9%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	6.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.4%
High blood pressure	43.2%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	15.2%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	31.3%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.7%
Binge drinking	13.8%
No physical activity	28.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.7%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	20.4%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	15.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.5%
Visited dentist	61.2%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	382	18.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.2%
Under 18	3.5%
18–64 years	10.2%
65 and over	32.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.9%
Public insurance	38.0%
No insurance	6.7%
Uninsured under 19	4.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,354	94.7%
Spanish	13	0.6%
Other Indo-European	2	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	10	0.4%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,447	98.5%
Born in same state	2,428	97.7%
Born in different state	1,739	70.0%
Foreign born	19	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	38	1.5%
Not a US citizen	30	78.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	225	9.1%
Italian	132	5.3%
Arab	112	4.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	11	0.4%
Polish	9	0.4%
Dutch	6	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.8%
Internet access	86.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 23888

What city is ZIP code 23888 in?

ZIP code 23888 is primarily assigned to Wakefield, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 23888 in?

ZIP code 23888 falls within Sussex County, Virginia.

Does ZIP code 23888 have a large veteran population?

18% of civilians in ZIP code 23888 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 23888 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 23888 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 23888?

Health data for ZIP code 23888 shows elevated rates of diabetes (15%) and smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 23888?

The median home value in ZIP code 23888 is $171,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 23888 in?

ZIP code 23888 observes the EST timezone.