Onawa, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51040
Monona County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,712
- 9/sq mi Low-density area
- $71,179
- Median income Near-median income area
- $151,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 19.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Onawa pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 49th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 26th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51040 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51040 covers 394.9 square miles in Onawa, Monona County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,712 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51040 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,179 (7% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,598. The poverty rate is 14.2%, with unemployment at 1.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $151,600 (14% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $947; 75.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.6, and the average commute is 18 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Monona County, so 51040 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 51040
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Onawa, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51040.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
20 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
14 establishments
- Construction
Construction
12 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
12 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
11 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 51040, Onawa, IA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
3,712
Population
394.9
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51040?
37.6
Median Age
47.9%
Male
52.1%
Female
0.0%
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?
$71,179
Median Household Income
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$33,598
Per Capita Income
14.2%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
18.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51040 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Onawa, IA household income vs. every Iowa ZIP code
Median household income among 911 reporting Iowa ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$71,179 42nd percentile higher than 42% of 911 Iowa ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Iowa 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,731housing units
1,731
Total Housing Units
1,555
Occupied Units
176
Vacant Units
2.19
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$151,600
Median Home Value
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$947
Median Rent
1961
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 115 business establishments in ZIP 51040, employing approximately 1,156 people with a combined annual payroll of $50,687,000.
115
Businesses
1,156
Employees
$50.7M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 20 | 17.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 14 | 12.2% |
| Construction | 12 | 10.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 12 | 10.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 11 | 9.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 8 | 7.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 7.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 5.2% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 3.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 4 | 3.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 2.6% |
| Information | 3 | 2.6% |
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 51040 vs 51523 →
ZIP 51040 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51040
Onawa (51040)
3,712 residents
- 51063 1,100
Whiting (51063)
1,100 residents
- 51523 357
Blencoe (51523)
357 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51040 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51040 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51523
Blencoe (51523)
$82,625 median income
- 51063
Whiting (51063)
$80,750 median income
- 51040
Onawa (51040)
$71,179 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51040 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51040, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,712 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Monona County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51040 in?
ZIP code 51040 (Onawa) is located in Monona County, Iowa. Monona County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/monona-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51040?
ZIP code 51040 in Onawa, IA has a population of 3,712 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51040?
The median household income in ZIP 51040 is $71,179, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51040?
The median home value in ZIP 51040 is $151,600, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51040?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51040 is White at 93.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51040?
ZIP code 51040 has 115 business establishments employing approximately 1,156 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51040?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51040 are: Retail trade (20), Other services (except public administration) (14), Construction (12). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51040?
In ZIP code 51040, 56.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 51040?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51040 is 18.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51040?
In ZIP code 51040, approximately 75.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51040?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51040 is 14.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51040's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51040 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Onawa, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.