Population & age
- Total population
- 27,121
- Median age
- 35.7
Portsmouth, VA (23703)
Portsmouth city · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Population 27,121
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Portsmouth, VA (ZIP 23703) sits in Portsmouth city within the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 38.7%. NCES lists 6 schools serving the area, 6 non-charter. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $64,294, well above the ~$45K national average per return. FDIC counts just 1 bank branch in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. Hurricane accounts for 56% of the 18 FEMA disaster declarations on record for this ZIP. County Health Rankings reports 15,223 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 6-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Chesapeake city, VA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $72,822, fair market rent of $1,650 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $315,685, up 1.7% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 41.4%
- Black
- 45.3%
- Asian
- 1.7%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 7.4%
- Other / multi-racial
- 11.3%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $72,822
- Median home value
- $262,800
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 27.2%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 6,896(69.2%)
- Renter-occupied
- 3,063(30.8%)
- Vacant units
- 926
- Built (median)
- 1978
Commute
- Public transit
- 13(0.1%)
- Work from home
- 1,074(8.0%)
- Avg commute
- 20.3 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 3,234(12.1%)
- Uninsured
- 340(1.3%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 9,129(91.7%)
- No broadband
- 830(8.3%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 1,129(4.2%)
- Non-English at home
- 1,381(5.5%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,440
/month
1 Bed
$1,460
/month
2 Bed
$1,650
/month
3 Bed
$2,290
/month
4 Bed
$2,690
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$315,685
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
+1.7%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+31.3%
vs. March 2021
Metro area
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
Metropolitan statistical area
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
300
Across 189 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $32.1M.
Single-family
188
63% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
112
37% of total units
Single-family value
$28.2M
construction value
Multifamily value
$3.9M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
12,440
Average AGI
$64,294
Avg property tax
$407
EITC participation
18.4%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00025.7% · 3,200
- $25,000 – $50,00026.6% · 3,310
- $50,000 – $75,00018.2% · 2,270
- $75,000 – $100,00011.2% · 1,390
- $100,000 – $200,00015.5% · 1,930
- $200,000 or more2.7% · 340
Avg mortgage interest
$763
Avg charitable contribution
$1,006
Avg capital gains
$1,521
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $799.8M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
271
Total employment
3,425
Annual payroll
$176.0M
Average annual pay
$51,383
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$67,867
Average weekly wage
$1,305
Total employment
43,620
Total establishments
1,876
That is roughly 4% above the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.8%
That is 0.2 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
44,426
Employed
42,747
Unemployed
1,679
Based on Portsmouth city, VA data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Banking access
FDIC-insured bank branches
1
Limited banking access
Only a handful of branches — residents may rely on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services.
Total deposits
$625.5M
across all branches in this ZIP
Distinct institutions
1
different banks operating here
Top banks by deposits in this ZIP
- 1.TowneBank$625.5M · 1 branch
Based on FDIC-insured branch offices as of June 30, 2024.
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits (fdic.gov). Annual June-30 snapshot of every FDIC-insured branch and the deposits booked there. Figures cover all institutions reporting a branch address in this ZIP.
Public libraries
Public-library outlets
1
Single library outlet
One public-library outlet serves this ZIP — typical of suburban and small-town areas. Card holders also have full access to the rest of the system's branches.
Buildings
1
1 branch
Avg hours / week
52
across outlets in this ZIP
Avg square feet
5,993
per outlet
Outlets in this ZIP
- 1.Churchland Branch
Public libraries provide free WiFi, computer access, children's programming, job-seeking resources, and meeting space — community infrastructure beyond books. FY2023 outlet inventory from the federal Public Libraries Survey.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public-library outlets — central buildings, branches, and bookmobiles — operated by federally reporting library systems.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
47th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 5 census tracts, population 26,982
Vulnerability Themes
- Socioeconomic Status51st percentile
- Household Characteristics46th percentile
- Racial & Ethnic Minority Status71st percentile
- Housing Type & Transportation39th percentile
Households Without Vehicle
477
Limited English Speakers
138
Persons with Disability
2,866
Without HS Diploma
1,355
Without Health Insurance
1,986
Adults Age 65+
3,709
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
18
Date Range
1972–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 23, 2026 (DR-3631)
Incident period: January 22, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane10 (56%)
- Biological2 (11%)
- Snowstorm2 (11%)
- Winter Storm1 (6%)
- Severe Storm1 (6%)
- Other2 (11%)
Individual Assistance
5
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
3
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
17
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
7
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
15,223
That is roughly 7,023 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
21%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.6
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.0
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
7.0%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
60
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,202
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.2
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
93%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
44%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 12.0% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Portsmouth City data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Moderate food access challenges
23.1% of Portsmouth County, VA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.16
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.02
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.93
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 5.9% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Portsmouth County, VA for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−495 people
+12 households • −$19.6M net AGI flow
Moved in
5,796households
10,011 people • $253.6M AGI
Moved out
5,784households
10,506 people • $273.2M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Chesapeake city, VA — 837 households
- Norfolk city, VA — 581 households
- Virginia Beach city, VA — 459 households
- Suffolk city, VA — 398 households
- Newport News city, VA — 162 households
Where departing residents went
- Chesapeake city, VA — 798 households
- Suffolk city, VA — 512 households
- Norfolk city, VA — 505 households
- Virginia Beach city, VA — 424 households
- Newport News city, VA — 141 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $43,756 versus departing households' $47,235.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Data sources used on this page
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
38.1%
5.1pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
38.7%
6.7pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
22.4%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
80.1%
4.1pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
9.3%
3.7pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
14.3%
3.3pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Schools in this ZIP
6 schools serve this ZIP, including 6 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHURCHLAND HIGH | Public | 9–12 | 1,413 |
| CHURCHLAND MIDDLE | Public | 7–8 | 847 |
| CHURCHLAND ACADEMY ELEM | Public | 0–6 | 681 |
| CHURCHLAND PRIMARY & INTERMEDIATE | Public | 0–6 | 616 |
| CHURCHLAND ELEM | Public | 0–6 | 610 |
Showing top 5 by enrollment. 1 more schools serve this ZIP.
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026What these numbers say together
Portsmouth, VA (ZIP 23703) sits in Portsmouth city within the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 38.7%. NCES lists 6 schools serving the area, 6 non-charter. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $64,294, well above the ~$45K national average per return. FDIC counts just 1 bank branch in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. Hurricane accounts for 56% of the 18 FEMA disaster declarations on record for this ZIP. County Health Rankings reports 15,223 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 6-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Chesapeake city, VA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $72,822, fair market rent of $1,650 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $315,685, up 1.7% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 22.4%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 23703
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 23703?
38.1%, which is 5.1 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 23703?
22.4%, which is 0.4 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 23703?
38.7%, which is 6.7 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
How many schools are in ZIP 23703?
6 schools serve this ZIP, including 6 public schools (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 23703 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 23703 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 23703?
Yes, 1 high school serves this ZIP: Churchland High. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 23703?
27,121 people live in ZIP 23703, with a median age of 35.7 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 23703?
$72,822 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 23703 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 23703, 69.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.8% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 23703?
In ZIP 23703, 8.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.1% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 23703?
12.1% of the population in ZIP 23703 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 23703 have broadband internet?
91.7% of households in ZIP 23703 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 23703?
The typical home value in ZIP 23703 is $315,685, up 1.7% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 23703?
Home values are up 1.7% over the past year and up 31.3% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 23703?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 23703 (Portsmouth, VA) is $64,294 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 23703?
Tax returns from ZIP 23703 report an average of $407 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 23703 earn over $200,000?
2.7% of tax returns from ZIP 23703 (Portsmouth, VA) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 23703?
As of 2022, 271 business establishments operated in ZIP 23703 employing 3,425 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 23703?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 23703 is $51,383, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 23703 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 23703 ranks in the 47th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 23703?
Racial & Ethnic Minority Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 23703, ranking in the 71th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 23703 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 18 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 23703 between 1972–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 23703?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 23703, accounting for 10 of 18 declarations (56%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 23703?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 23703 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3631) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 23703?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (6 schools), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), and federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 on record). Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 on record).
More Info topics
Nearby ZIPs: more ZIP code profiles launching Q3 2026.
Have a specific question about ZIP 23703?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.