PlainZIP

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 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 Iowa average), while per-capita income is $35,382. The poverty rate stands at 22.5% and the unemployment rate at 5.2%. The typical home here is valued at $160,700 (8% below the state average); renters pay a median of $774 monthly, and 77.9% of units 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. Beyond these figures, 3 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 4 more sharing Osceola County, letting you compare 51249 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 51249?

41.4

Median Age

52.8%

Male

47.2%

Female

6.1%

Foreign-Born

White 83.4%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%

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

Sibley, IA 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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 57.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.2%

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

Owner 77.9%
Renter 22.1%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51249 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 51249 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
56117 Bigelow, MN 399 8.4 mi
51232 Ashton, IA 875 8.8 mi
51350 Melvin, IA 411 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Osceola County

51354 standard
Ocheyedan, IA
Pop: 1,096
51232 standard
Ashton, IA
Pop: 875
51350 standard
Melvin, IA
Pop: 411
51345 standard
Harris, IA
Pop: 403

Related Areas

Osceola County Sibley, IA Iowa

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.