Sanborn, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51248
O'Brien County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,857
- 9/sq mi
- $64,375
- Median income
- $172,800
- Median home value
- 20.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Sanborn pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 37th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 36th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51248 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51248 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 213.4 square miles in Sanborn, O'Brien County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,857 residents, producing a population density of 9 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 51248 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51248 sits at $64,375 (16% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $36,815. The poverty rate stands at 11.6% and the unemployment rate at 1.7%. On housing, the median home value is $172,800 (2% below the state average) with median rent at $954 per month, and 76.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51248 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 20.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.4, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing O'Brien County, so you can benchmark 51248 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 51248
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51248.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
10 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 51248, Sanborn, 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
1,857
Population
213.4
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51248?
47.4
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
3.1%
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?
$64,375
Median Household Income
-16% vs state
$36,815
Per Capita Income
11.6%
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51248 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$64,375 37th percentile higher than 37% 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?
702
Total Housing Units
686
Occupied Units
16
Vacant Units
2.14
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$172,800
Median Home Value
-2% vs state
$954
Median Rent
1966
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 54 business establishments in ZIP 51248, employing approximately 530 people with a combined annual payroll of $21,918,000.
54
Businesses
530
Employees
$21.9M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 10 | 18.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 14.8% |
| Construction | 7 | 13.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 9.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 9.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 9.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 7.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 5.6% |
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 51248 vs 51350 →
ZIP 51248 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51248
Sanborn (51248)
1,857 residents
- 51245
Primghar (51245)
1,359 residents
- 51350 411
Melvin (51350)
411 residents
- 51231 282
Archer (51231)
282 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51248 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51248 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
- 51350
Melvin (51350)
$77,250 median income
- 51245
Primghar (51245)
$69,531 median income
- 51248
Sanborn (51248)
$64,375 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51248 ranks #4 of 4 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 51248 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51248? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51248? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51248? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51248? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51248? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51248? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51248? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51248? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51248? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Sanborn, 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.