Chester, VA · standard
ZIP Code 23836
Chesterfield County, Virginia — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 11,444
- 174/sq mi
- $100,921
- Median income
- $356,400
- Median home value
- 38.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Chester pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 18%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 25%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 174
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 23836 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 23836 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 65.8 square miles in Chester, Chesterfield County, Virginia. The area is home to 11,444 residents, producing a population density of 174 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 23836 against Virginia and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 23836 sits at $100,921 (18% above the Virginia average), while per-capita income is $48,289. The poverty rate stands at 4.3% and the unemployment rate at 3.8%. On housing, the median home value is $356,400 (7% above the state average) with median rent at $1,674 per month, and 75.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 23836 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 38.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.8, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Chesterfield County, so you can benchmark 23836 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 23836
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 23836.
- Construction
Construction
38 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
38 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
37 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
36 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
30 establishments
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 23836, Chester, VA · 2023 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
11,444
Population
65.8
Area (sq mi)
174
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 23836?
38.8
Median Age
52.0%
Male
48.0%
Female
8.9%
Foreign-Born
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?
$100,921
Median Household Income
+18% vs state
$48,289
Per Capita Income
4.3%
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Unemployment Rate
24.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 23836 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$100,921 Top 18% higher than 82% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
5,704
Total Housing Units
5,566
Occupied Units
138
Vacant Units
2.75
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$356,400
Median Home Value
+7% vs state
$1,674
Median Rent
1994
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
+1.9%
YoY Change (2024)
255
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+155%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 23836 have increased 1.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +155% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.7% | 179 |
| 2021 | +10.9% | 198 |
| 2022 | +14.3% | 226 |
| 2023 | +10.7% | 251 |
| 2024 | +1.9% | 255 |
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 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 366 business establishments in ZIP 23836, employing approximately 14,675 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,143,798,000.
366
Businesses
14,675
Employees
$1.1B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 38 | 10.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 38 | 10.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 37 | 10.1% |
| Retail trade | 36 | 9.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 30 | 8.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 30 | 8.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 29 | 7.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 27 | 7.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 25 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 23 | 6.3% |
| Manufacturing | 19 | 5.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 3.3% |
| Utilities | 10 | 2.7% |
| Educational services | 4 | 1.1% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3 | 0.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 0.8% |
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 23836 vs 23831 →
ZIP 23836 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 23234
Richmond (23234)
42,989 residents
- 23803
Petersburg (23803)
40,542 residents
- 23231
Henrico (23231)
34,685 residents
- 23831
Chester (23831)
33,079 residents
- 23860
Hopewell (23860)
31,970 residents
- 23834
Colonial Heights (23834)
25,612 residents
- 23237
Richmond (23237)
21,192 residents
- 23836 11,444
Chester (23836)
11,444 residents
- 23875 10,878
Prince George (23875)
10,878 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 23836 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 23836 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 23836
Chester (23836)
$100,921 median income
- 23831
Chester (23831)
$95,750 median income
- 23834
Colonial Heights (23834)
$84,338 median income
- 23801
Fort Lee (23801)
$82,563 median income
- 23237
Richmond (23237)
$79,606 median income
- 23231
Henrico (23231)
$76,505 median income
- 23875
Prince George (23875)
$74,543 median income
- 23234
Richmond (23234)
$66,619 median income
- 23860
Hopewell (23860)
$62,141 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 23836 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23831 | Chester, VA | 33,079 | 5.8 mi |
| 23834 | Colonial Heights, VA | 25,612 | 5.0 mi |
| 23801 | Fort Lee, VA | 3,393 | 7.5 mi |
| 23231 | Henrico, VA | 34,685 | 6.8 mi |
| 23237 | Richmond, VA | 21,192 | 7.1 mi |
| 23806 | Virginia State University, VA | 2,251 | 8.3 mi |
| 23860 | Hopewell, VA | 31,970 | 8.3 mi |
| 23875 | Prince George, VA | 10,878 | 9.2 mi |
| 23234 | Richmond, VA | 42,989 | 10.1 mi |
| 23803 | Petersburg, VA | 40,542 | 11.8 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Chesterfield County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 23836 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 23836? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 23836? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 23836? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 23836? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 23836? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 23836? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 23836? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 23836? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 23836? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 23836? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 23836? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Chester, VA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.