Suffolk, VA · standard

ZIP Code 23438

Suffolk County, Virginia — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

1,818
17/sq mi: $93,750
Median income: $292,600
Median home value: 20.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Suffolk pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 24%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 35%
home value, US ZIPs: 17
people per sq mi: 96%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 23438 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 23438 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 106.3 square miles in Suffolk, Suffolk County, Virginia. The area is home to 1,818 residents, producing a population density of 17 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 23438 against Virginia and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 23438 sits at $93,750 (10% above the Virginia average), while per-capita income is $40,501. The poverty rate stands at 7.6% and the unemployment rate at 3.1%. On housing, the median home value is $292,600 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $950 per month, and 96.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 23438 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 20.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.5, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Suffolk County, so you can benchmark 23438 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 23438

Retail trade

5
Other services (except public administration)

5
Transportation and warehousing

4
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

3

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 23438, Suffolk, VA · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,818

Population

106.3

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 23438?

40.5

Median Age

57.2%

Male

42.8%

Female

5.7%

Foreign-Born

White 74.3%

African American 11.4%

Asian 3.8%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.5%

Hispanic or Latino 6.2%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$93,750

Median Household Income

+10% vs state

$40,501

Per Capita Income

7.6%

Poverty Rate

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 23438 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$93,750 Top 24% higher than 76% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 60.8%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

724

Total Housing Units

672

Occupied Units

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 96.4%

Renter 3.6%

$292,600

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$950

Median Rent

1989

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+0.9%

YoY Change (2023)

233

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+133%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 23438 have increased 0.9% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +133% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2019	+1.1%	184
2020	-1.1%	182
2021	+14.4%	209
2022	+10.8%	231
2023	+0.9%	233

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2023. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 23438, employing approximately 122 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,103,000.

Businesses

122

Employees

$5.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	5	25.0%
Other services (except public administration)	5	25.0%
Transportation and warehousing	4	20.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	3	15.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 23438 vs 27926 →

23434

47,670
27937

4,333
23437

4,283
27926

1,915
23438

1,818
27979

1,719

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 23438 ranks #5 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

23438

$93,750
23437

$80,833
23434

$79,877
27937

$70,086
27979

$63,170
27926

$57,333

What this shows By household income, ZIP 23438 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
27926	Corapeake, NC	1,915	6.7 mi
23437	Suffolk, VA	4,283	7.0 mi
27937	Gates, NC	4,333	7.1 mi
23434	Suffolk, VA	47,670	10.1 mi
27979	Sunbury, NC	1,719	12.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Suffolk County

Suffolk County Suffolk, VA Virginia

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 23438 in? ▼

ZIP code 23438 (Suffolk) is located in Suffolk County, Virginia. Suffolk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/suffolk-va.

What is the population of ZIP code 23438? ▼

ZIP code 23438 in Suffolk, VA has a population of 1,818 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 23438? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 23438 is $93,750, which is 23% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 23438? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 23438 is $292,600, which is 5% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 23438? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 23438 is White at 74.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.2% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 23438? ▼

ZIP code 23438 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 122 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 23438? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 23438 are: Retail trade (5), Other services (except public administration) (5), Transportation and warehousing (4). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 23438? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 23438 increased by 0.9% in 2023. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 133%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 23438? ▼

In ZIP code 23438, 60.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 23438? ▼

In ZIP code 23438, approximately 96.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 3.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23438? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 23438 is 7.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.