PlainZIP

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
$84,125
Median income
$160,300
Median home value
19.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Iowa average), while per-capita income is $45,310. The poverty rate stands at 6.2% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $160,300 (9% below the state average) with median rent at $895 per month, and 76.0% of occupied units 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. Beyond these figures, 5 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing O'Brien County, letting you compare 51046 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 51046?

50.6

Median Age

54.6%

Male

45.4%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 98.0%
African American 0.2%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.4%
Hispanic or Latino 0.2%

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

$45,310

Per Capita Income

6.2%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

18.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51046 ranks nationally

Paullina, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$84,125 Top 33% higher than 67% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 58.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

763

Total Housing Units

637

Occupied Units

126

Vacant Units

2.08

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.0%
Renter 24.0%

$160,300

Median Home Value

-9% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51046 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 51046 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
51009 Calumet, IA 164 6.6 mi
51037 Meriden, IA 322 9.7 mi
51245 Primghar, IA 1,359 8.6 mi
51231 Archer, IA 282 10.1 mi
51029 Larrabee, IA 251 9.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in O'Brien County

51201 standard
Sheldon, IA
Pop: 6,193
51346 standard
Hartley, IA
Pop: 2,451
51248 standard
Sanborn, IA
Pop: 1,857
51245 standard
Primghar, IA
Pop: 1,359
51058 standard
Sutherland, IA
Pop: 1,007
51231 standard
Archer, IA
Pop: 282

Related Areas

O'Brien County Paullina, IA Iowa

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.