Archer, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51231
O'Brien County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 282
- 4/sq mi
- $108,058
- Median income
- $189,500
- Median home value
- 33.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Archer pairs an upper-quartile household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 14%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 94%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51231 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51231 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 72.3 square miles in Archer, O'Brien County, Iowa. The area is home to 282 residents, producing a population density of 4 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 51231 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51231 sits at $108,058 (41% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $22,575. The poverty rate stands at 29.7% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $189,500 (8% above the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 94.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51231 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 33.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 15.1, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing O'Brien County, so you can benchmark 51231 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 →
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 51231, Archer, 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
282
Population
72.3
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51231?
15.1
Median Age
59.6%
Male
40.4%
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?
$108,058
Median Household Income
+41% vs state
$22,575
Per Capita Income
29.7%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51231 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$108,058 Top 14% higher than 86% 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?
143
Total Housing Units
141
Occupied Units
2
Vacant Units
3.99
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$189,500
Median Home Value
+8% vs state
1957
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 6 business establishments in ZIP 51231, employing approximately 63 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,385,000.
6
Businesses
63
Employees
$3.4M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 51231 vs 51245 →
ZIP 51231 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51201
Sheldon (51201)
6,193 residents
- 51248 1,857
Sanborn (51248)
1,857 residents
- 51046 1,660
Paullina (51046)
1,660 residents
- 51245 1,359
Primghar (51245)
1,359 residents
- 51022 789
Granville (51022)
789 residents
- 51231 282
Archer (51231)
282 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51231 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51231 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
- 51022
Granville (51022)
$96,505 median income
- 51046
Paullina (51046)
$84,125 median income
- 51245
Primghar (51245)
$69,531 median income
- 51201
Sheldon (51201)
$68,799 median income
- 51248
Sanborn (51248)
$64,375 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51231 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in O'Brien County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51231 in? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 51231? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51231? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51231? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Archer, 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.