County ZIP codes · Iowa · FIPS 19165
Shelby County, IA ZIP Codes
Shelby County, Iowa has 18 ZIP codes (Census 2020 ZCTA-county file; GeoNames postal codes, October 2026), all residential. 10 of the residential ones lie mainly in Shelby County and 8 mainly in a neighboring county; 12 cross the county line. Median household income ranges from $61,599 in 51529 (Dunlap) to $77,708 in 51570 (Shelby) (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024).
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
Where are the ZIP codes of Shelby County?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries; ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B19013).
How different are its ZIP codes?
The middle half of its ranked ZIP codes (1,000+ people living in households) report median household incomes between $63,125 and $73,769.
They carry 18 postal town names.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B19013).
All 18 residential ZIP codes in Shelby County
10 ZIP codes lie mainly in Shelby County; 8 more reach into it from a neighboring county and follow the first table.
| In this county | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51537 | Harlan | 6,382 | 39 | $65k | $167k | 100% |
| 51570 | Shelby | 1,118 | 18 | $78k | $205k | 53% |
| 51531 | Elk Horn | 889 | 33 | $59k | $132k | 79% |
| 51530 | Earling | 809 | 15 | $74k | $164k | 100% |
| 51565 | Portsmouth | 516 | 11 | $103k | $182k | 74% |
| 51562 | Panama | 506 | 15 | $81k | $159k | 100% |
| 51446 | Irwin | 499 | 14 | $63k | $91k | 100% |
| 51527 | Defiance | 362 | 9 | $65k | $123k | 83% |
| 51578 | Westphalia | 116 | 1,657 | $77k | $98k | 100% |
| 51447 | Kirkman | 113 | 3 | $68k | $142k | 100% |
Partly in Shelby County
| In this county | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51454 | Manilla | 1,254 | 13 | $101k | $167k | 42% |
| 51552 | Marne | 169 | 6 | $90k | $125k | 37% |
| 51577 | Walnut | 1,561 | 19 | $72k | $134k | 31% |
| 51521 | Avoca | 1,953 | 22 | $74k | $203k | 31% |
| 51543 | Kimballton | 478 | 22 | $72k | $163k | 30% |
| 51529 | Dunlap | 1,732 | 13 | $62k | $157k | 15% |
| 50022 | Atlantic | 8,526 | 49 | $63k | $158k | 4% |
| 51455 | Manning | 2,279 | 20 | $77k | $132k | 3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; county shares by land area (Census 2020 ZCTA-county relationship file).
Which ZIP codes cross the county line?
12 ZIP codes of Shelby County extend into another county. A ZIP code follows mail routes, not county borders.
| ZIP | In Shelby | Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| 50022 | 4% | Cass County 89%; Audubon County 7% |
| 51455 | 3% | Carroll County 56%; Crawford County 23%; Audubon County 18% |
| 51521 | 31% | Pottawattamie County 69% |
| 51529 | 15% | Harrison County 38%; Crawford County 28%; Monona County 18% |
| 51577 | 31% | Pottawattamie County 67%; Cass County 2% |
| 51454 | 42% | Crawford County 58% |
| 51570 | 53% | Pottawattamie County 33%; Harrison County 14% |
| 51531 | 79% | Audubon County 21% |
| 51565 | 74% | Harrison County 26% |
| 51543 | 30% | Audubon County 70% |
| 51527 | 83% | Crawford County 17% |
| 51552 | 37% | Cass County 63% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA-county relationship file (shares of land area).
Which first three digits do Shelby County's ZIP codes use?
The first three digits of a ZIP code name the sectional center, the mail processing plant that sorts it. Shelby County's ZIP codes use 3 prefixes: 500, 514 and 515.
| Prefix | Sectional center | Here | All codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | Des Moines, IA (SCF 500) | 1 | 68 |
| 514 | Des Moines, IA (SCF 500) | 4 | 32 |
| 515 | Omaha, NE (SCF 680) | 13 | 57 |
Source: U.S. Postal Service, labeling list L005 (3-digit ZIP Code prefix groups, SCF sortation), effective October 1, 2026.