Alton, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51003
Sioux County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,700
- 12/sq mi
- $101,250
- Median income
- $232,700
- Median home value
- 29.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Alton pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 18%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 47%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 12
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51003 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51003 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 144.1 square miles in Alton, Sioux County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,700 residents, producing a population density of 12 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 51003 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51003 sits at $101,250 (32% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $44,417. The poverty rate stands at 2.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.0%. On housing, the median home value is $232,700 (33% above the state average) with median rent at $813 per month, and 87.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51003 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.1, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Sioux County, so you can benchmark 51003 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 51003
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51003.
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
4 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 51003, Alton, IA · 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
1,700
Population
144.1
Area (sq mi)
12
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51003?
37.1
Median Age
50.9%
Male
49.1%
Female
1.8%
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?
$101,250
Median Household Income
+32% vs state
$44,417
Per Capita Income
2.0%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51003 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$101,250 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?
788
Total Housing Units
730
Occupied Units
58
Vacant Units
2.65
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$232,700
Median Home Value
+33% vs state
$813
Median Rent
1970
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 44 business establishments in ZIP 51003, employing approximately 175 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,882,000.
44
Businesses
175
Employees
$7.9M
Annual Payroll
6
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 9 | 20.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 15.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 13.6% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 11.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 9.1% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 6.8% |
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 51003 vs 51041 →
ZIP 51003 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51041
Orange City (51041)
6,976 residents
- 51003 1,700
Alton (51003)
1,700 residents
- 51238 1,184
Hospers (51238)
1,184 residents
- 51022 789
Granville (51022)
789 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51003 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51003 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51003
Alton (51003)
$101,250 median income
- 51022
Granville (51022)
$96,505 median income
- 51041
Orange City (51041)
$83,643 median income
- 51238
Hospers (51238)
$74,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51003 ranks the highest of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Sioux County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51003 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51003? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51003? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51003? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51003? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51003? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51003? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51003? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51003? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51003? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Alton, IA
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.