Sibley, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51249
Osceola County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,593
- 11/sq mi Low-density area
- $61,500
- Median income Below-median income area
- $160,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 21.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Sibley pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 32nd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 30th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51249 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 51249 (Sibley, IA) fell -7.3% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 51249 covers 323.7 square miles in Sibley, Osceola County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,593 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51249 reports a modest median household income of $61,500 (20% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,382. The poverty rate is 22.5%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Median home value is $160,700 (8% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $774; 77.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.4, and the average commute is 16 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Osceola County, so 51249 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 51249
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sibley, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51249.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
24 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
16 establishments
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
13 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
12 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 51249, Sibley, 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
3,593
Population
323.7
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51249?
41.4
Median Age
52.8%
Male
47.2%
Female
6.1%
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?
$61,500
Median Household Income
-20% vs state ZIP avg
$35,382
Per Capita Income
22.5%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
16.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51249 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Sibley, 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)
$61,500 20th percentile higher than 20% 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
1,579housing units
1,579
Total Housing Units
1,458
Occupied Units
121
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$160,700
Median Home Value
-8% vs state ZIP avg
$774
Median Rent
1957
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 129 business establishments in ZIP 51249, employing approximately 1,510 people with a combined annual payroll of $63,995,000.
129
Businesses
1,510
Employees
$64.0M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 24 | 18.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 16 | 12.4% |
| Construction | 13 | 10.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13 | 10.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12 | 9.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 10 | 7.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 6.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8 | 6.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 7 | 5.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 4.7% |
| Information | 4 | 3.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 2.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 2.3% |
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 51249 vs 56117 →
ZIP 51249 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51249
Sibley (51249)
3,593 residents
- 51232 875
Ashton (51232)
875 residents
- 51350 411
Melvin (51350)
411 residents
- 56117 399
Bigelow (56117)
399 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51249 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51249 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51232
Ashton (51232)
$82,917 median income
- 51350
Melvin (51350)
$77,250 median income
- 56117
Bigelow (56117)
$63,438 median income
- 51249
Sibley (51249)
$61,500 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51249 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 51249, 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 (3,593 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Osceola County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51249 in?
ZIP code 51249 (Sibley) is located in Osceola County, Iowa. Osceola County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/osceola-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51249?
ZIP code 51249 in Sibley, IA has a population of 3,593 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51249?
The median household income in ZIP 51249 is $61,500, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51249?
The median home value in ZIP 51249 is $160,700, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51249?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51249 is White at 83.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51249?
ZIP code 51249 has 129 business establishments employing approximately 1,510 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51249?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51249 are: Retail trade (24), Health care and social assistance (16), Construction (13). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51249?
In ZIP code 51249, 57.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 51249?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51249 is 16.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51249?
In ZIP code 51249, approximately 77.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51249?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51249 is 22.5% 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 51249's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51249 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sibley, 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.