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
- $61,500
- Median income
- $160,700
- Median home value
- 21.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Sibley pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 32th 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.
ZIP code 51249 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 323.7 square miles in Sibley, Osceola County, Iowa. The area is home to 3,593 residents, producing a population density of 11 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 51249 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51249 sits at $61,500 (20% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $35,382. The poverty rate stands at 22.5% and the unemployment rate at 5.2%. On housing, the median home value is $160,700 (8% below the state average) with median rent at $774 per month, and 77.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51249 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 21.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.4, and the average commute is 16 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Osceola County, so you can benchmark 51249 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 51249
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$35,382
Per Capita Income
22.5%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
16.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51249 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$61,500 32nd percentile higher than 32% 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?
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
$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.
More ZIP Codes in Osceola County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51249 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51249? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51249? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51249? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51249? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51249? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51249? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51249? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 51249? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51249? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Sibley, 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.