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
- $71,179
- Median income
- $151,600
- Median home value
- 19.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 394.9 square miles in Onawa, Monona County, Iowa. The area is home to 3,712 residents, producing a population density of 9 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 51040 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51040 sits at $71,179 (7% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $33,598. The poverty rate stands at 14.2% and the unemployment rate at 1.2%. On housing, the median home value is $151,600 (14% below the state average) with median rent at $947 per month, and 75.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51040 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 19.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.6, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Monona County, so you can benchmark 51040 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 51040
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$33,598
Per Capita Income
14.2%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
18.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51040 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$71,179 49th percentile higher than 49% 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?
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
$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.
More ZIP Codes in Monona County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51040 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51040? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51040? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51040? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51040? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51040? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51040? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51040? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 51040? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51040? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51040? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Onawa, 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.