PlainZIP

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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Archer, O'Brien County, Iowa, home to just 282 residents across 72.3 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51231 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $108,058 (41% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $22,575. 29.7% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 0.0%. Housing costs here run $189,500 for a typical home value (8% above the state average), with rent averaging - a month; 94.3% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 33.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 15.1, and the average commute is -. To put 51231 in local context, 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in O'Brien County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

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 51231, Archer, 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

282

Population

72.3

Area (sq mi)

4

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 51231?

15.1

Median Age

59.6%

Male

40.4%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 96.3%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
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?

$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

Archer, IA 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

$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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $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 55.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.5%

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

Owner 94.3%
Renter 5.7%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51231 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 51231 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 51231 ranks the highest 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
51245 Primghar, IA 1,359 7.4 mi
51248 Sanborn, IA 1,857 8.3 mi
51046 Paullina, IA 1,660 10.1 mi
51201 Sheldon, IA 6,193 8.3 mi
51022 Granville, IA 789 10.3 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
51046 standard
Paullina, IA
Pop: 1,660
51245 standard
Primghar, IA
Pop: 1,359
51058 standard
Sutherland, IA
Pop: 1,007

Related Areas

O'Brien County Archer, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51231 in? ▼
ZIP code 51231 (Archer) 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 51231? ▼
ZIP code 51231 in Archer, IA has a population of 282 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51231? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51231 is $108,058, which is 42% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51231? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51231 is $189,500, which is 32% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51231? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51231 is White at 96.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51231? ▼
ZIP code 51231 has 6 business establishments employing approximately 63 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51231? ▼
In ZIP code 51231, 55.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 33.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51231? ▼
In ZIP code 51231, approximately 94.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51231? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51231 is 29.7% 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.