ZIP Code · VA

ZIP 23803

Part of Petersburg, VA

Pop. 42,012·Chesterfield County·183rd most expensive ZIP in Virginia

Median rent (all units)

$1,329/mo

Year-over-Year

+3.3%

Month-over-Month

-0.8%

vs US Median

-$603

Reported rents

Falling (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 23803 · $1,329

More affordable than 85% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,059

1 BR

$1,107

2 BR

$1,217

3 BR

$1,541

4 BR+

$1,905

Research median

$1,217/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

November. Asking rents in ZIP 23803 usually run 1.2% below trend in November and 1.3% above it in April, about $33 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 23803 is 1.3% below its high of $1,347 in June 2026, at $1,329 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Virginia

Rent in ZIP 23803 changed +3.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 169 Virginia ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($57,813) is $1,445 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,400); a 2-bedroom is $1,540.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 23803. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$15,948/yr

At $1,329/mo median

Location

CityPetersburg

StateVA

CountyChesterfield County

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+3.3% YoY, -0.8% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 23803 (Petersburg, VA) is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 24.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

42,012

Median income

$57,813

Median age

36.4

Renters

48.9%

Age distribution

20.8%

27.2%

21.9%

14.4%

15.7%

Under 1820.8%

18–3427.2%

35–5421.9%

55–6414.4%

65+15.7%

Gender

47.4%

52.6%

Male47.4%

Female52.6%

Race & ethnicity

33.6%

57.6%

White33.6%

Black57.6%

Hispanic6.7%

Asian0.5%

Other1.6%

Education (25+)

13.2%

33.6%

28.8%

24.4%

No HS diploma13.2%

HS diploma33.6%

Some college28.8%

Bachelor's+24.4%

Housing tenure

51.1%

48.9%

Owner51.1%

Renter48.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 23803 in Petersburg, VA has changed in 5 years

Rent

$860 → $1,329

up 54.5%

Income

$49,302 → $57,813

up 17.3%

Population

41,300 → 42,012

up 1.7%

Renter share

50% → 48.9%

-1.1 pts

Bachelor's+

20.5% → 24.4%

+3.9 pts

Median age

37.8 → 36.4

-1.4 yrs

Compared with 2021, rent in ZIP 23803 in Petersburg, VA has increased by $469 per month, settling near $1,329 after starting the period at $860. Median household income grew from $49,302 to $57,813 between 2021 and 2024, a 17.3% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 37.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 41,300 to 42,012 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.7% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 20.5% to 24.4%. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 23803 in Petersburg, VA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.

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About renting in ZIP 23803

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 23803 covers Petersburg, VA. The median rent here is $1,329/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,107/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,217/mo.

At 28% of local median household income ($57,813/yr), ZIP 23803 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.3% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 23803?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $53,000/year (about $25/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $1,329/mo in ZIP 23803. The local median household income is $57,813/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 23803?

Rent in ZIP 23803 has risen 3.3% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 1.3% below its high of $1,347 in June 2026.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 23803?

Asking rents in ZIP 23803 are usually lowest in November, about 1.2% below their yearly trend, and highest in April, about 1.3% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $33 a month. This pattern comes from 5 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 23803 compare to other ZIPs in Virginia?

ZIP 23803 is one of the more affordable among Virginia ZIP codes for rent, ranking #183 of 194 at $1,329/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 23803 changed +3.3%, against a typical +3.4% across the 169 Virginia ZIP codes Zillow tracks.