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 Low-density area
- $108,058
- Median income Above-median income area
- $189,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 33.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Archer pairs an upper-quartile household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 14%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41st 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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $22,575. The poverty rate is 29.7%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Median home value is $189,500 (8% above the average Iowa ZIP); 94.3% of occupied 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 -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in O'Brien County, so 51231 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 →
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
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 ZIP avg
$22,575
Per Capita Income
29.7%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51231 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Archer, 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)
$108,058 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
143housing units
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 ZIP avg
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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51231, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
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 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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51231's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51231 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Archer, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.