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 Low-density area
- $64,375
- Median income Near-median income area
- $172,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 20.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 51248 (Sanborn, IA) rose +19.4% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 51248 covers 213.4 square miles in Sanborn, O'Brien County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,857 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51248 reports a modest median household income of $64,375 (16% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,815. The poverty rate is 11.6%, with unemployment at 1.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $172,800 (2% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $954; 76.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in O'Brien County, so 51248 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 51248
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sanborn, IA
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$36,815
Per Capita Income
11.6%
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51248 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Sanborn, 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)
$64,375 28th percentile higher than 28% 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
702housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51248, 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 (1,857 here; floor ≥1,000).
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 51248 in?
ZIP code 51248 (Sanborn) 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 51248?
ZIP code 51248 in Sanborn, IA has a population of 1,857 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51248?
The median household income in ZIP 51248 is $64,375, which is 16% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51248?
The median home value in ZIP 51248 is $172,800, which is 38% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51248?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51248 is White at 94.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51248?
ZIP code 51248 has 54 business establishments employing approximately 530 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51248?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51248 are: Retail trade (10), Other services (except public administration) (8), Construction (7). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51248?
In ZIP code 51248, 61.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.8% 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 51248?
In ZIP code 51248, approximately 76.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51248?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51248 is 11.6% 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 51248's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51248 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sanborn, 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.