Paullina, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51046
O'Brien County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,660
- 7/sq mi Low-density area
- $84,125
- Median income Above-median income area
- $160,300
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 19.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Paullina pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 33%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 30th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51046 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51046 covers 240.6 square miles in Paullina, O'Brien County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,660 residents on file, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51046 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $84,125 (10% above the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $45,310. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.2% and unemployment is 0.0%. Median home value is $160,300 (9% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $895; 76.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50.6, and the average commute is 18 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in O'Brien County, so 51046 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 51046
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Paullina, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51046.
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Wholesale trade 3
Wholesale trade
3 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 51046, Paullina, 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
1,660
Population
240.6
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51046?
50.6
Median Age
54.6%
Male
45.4%
Female
1.3%
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?
$84,125
Median Household Income
+10% vs state ZIP avg
$45,310
Per Capita Income
6.2%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
18.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51046 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Paullina, 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)
$84,125 Top 30% higher than 70% 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
763housing units
763
Total Housing Units
637
Occupied Units
126
Vacant Units
2.08
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$160,300
Median Home Value
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$895
Median Rent
1950
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 50 business establishments in ZIP 51046, employing approximately 356 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,014,000.
50
Businesses
356
Employees
$16.0M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 8 | 16.0% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 14.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 14.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 10.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 6.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 6.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 6.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 6.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 6.0% |
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 51046 vs 51009 →
ZIP 51046 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51046
Paullina (51046)
1,660 residents
- 51245
Primghar (51245)
1,359 residents
- 51037 322
Meriden (51037)
322 residents
- 51231 282
Archer (51231)
282 residents
- 51029 251
Larrabee (51029)
251 residents
- 51009 164
Calumet (51009)
164 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51046 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51046 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51231
Archer (51231)
$108,058 median income
- 51029
Larrabee (51029)
$86,042 median income
- 51046
Paullina (51046)
$84,125 median income
- 51245
Primghar (51245)
$69,531 median income
- 51037
Meriden (51037)
$58,958 median income
- 51009
Calumet (51009)
$58,750 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51046 ranks #3 of 6 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 51046, 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 (1,660 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in O'Brien County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51046 in?
ZIP code 51046 (Paullina) is located in O'Brien County, Iowa. O'Brien County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/obrien-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51046?
ZIP code 51046 in Paullina, IA has a population of 1,660 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51046?
The median household income in ZIP 51046 is $84,125, which is 10% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51046?
The median home value in ZIP 51046 is $160,300, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51046?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51046 is White at 98.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51046?
ZIP code 51046 has 50 business establishments employing approximately 356 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51046?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51046 are: Construction (8), Retail trade (7), Other services (except public administration) (7). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51046?
In ZIP code 51046, 58.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.7% 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 51046?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51046 is 18.1 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 51046?
In ZIP code 51046, approximately 76.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51046?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51046 is 6.2% 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 51046's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51046 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Paullina, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.