Hospers, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51238
Sioux County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,184
- 10/sq mi Low-density area
- $74,000
- Median income Near-median income area
- $182,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 21.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Hospers pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 39th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 10
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51238 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51238 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Hospers, Sioux County, Iowa, home to just 1,184 residents across 118.4 square miles, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51238 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,000 (3% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,317. The poverty rate is 10.6%, with unemployment at 2.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $182,500 (4% above the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $684; 87.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Sioux County, so 51238 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 51238
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hospers, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51238.
- Construction
Construction
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 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 51238, Hospers, 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
1,184
Population
118.4
Area (sq mi)
10
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51238?
36.9
Median Age
50.2%
Male
49.8%
Female
5.9%
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?
$74,000
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$33,317
Per Capita Income
10.6%
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51238 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Hospers, 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)
$74,000 Top 50% higher than 50% 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
566housing units
566
Total Housing Units
556
Occupied Units
10
Vacant Units
2.70
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$182,500
Median Home Value
+4% vs state ZIP avg
$684
Median Rent
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 38 business establishments in ZIP 51238, employing approximately 895 people with a combined annual payroll of $48,724,000.
38
Businesses
895
Employees
$48.7M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 6 | 15.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 15.8% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 13.2% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 13.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 13.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 10.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 7.9% |
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 51238 vs 51201 →
ZIP 51238 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
- 51003 1,700
Alton (51003)
1,700 residents
- 51234 1,268
Boyden (51234)
1,268 residents
- 51238 1,184
Hospers (51238)
1,184 residents
- 51022 789
Granville (51022)
789 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51238 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51238 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51003
Alton (51003)
$101,250 median income
- 51022
Granville (51022)
$96,505 median income
- 51234
Boyden (51234)
$84,318 median income
- 51238
Hospers (51238)
$74,000 median income
- 51201
Sheldon (51201)
$68,799 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51238 ranks #4 of 5 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 51238, 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 (1,184 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Sioux County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51238 in?
ZIP code 51238 (Hospers) is located in Sioux County, Iowa. Sioux County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/sioux-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51238?
ZIP code 51238 in Hospers, IA has a population of 1,184 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51238?
The median household income in ZIP 51238 is $74,000, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51238?
The median home value in ZIP 51238 is $182,500, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51238?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51238 is White at 85.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 20.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51238?
ZIP code 51238 has 38 business establishments employing approximately 895 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51238?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51238 are: Construction (6), Other services (except public administration) (6), Manufacturing (5). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51238?
In ZIP code 51238, 61.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.3% 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 51238?
In ZIP code 51238, approximately 87.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51238?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51238 is 10.6% 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 51238's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51238 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Hospers, 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.