PlainZIP

Graettinger, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51342

Palo Alto County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

1,249
6/sq mi
$84,866
Median income
$108,900
Median home value
14.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Graettinger pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 32%
household income, US ZIPs
12th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51342 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51342 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Graettinger, Palo Alto County, Iowa, home to just 1,249 residents across 215.3 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51342 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $84,866 (11% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $32,810. Local economic indicators show a 5.8% poverty rate alongside 0.5% unemployment. Housing costs here run $108,900 for a typical home value (38% below the state average), with rent averaging $518 a month; 83.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.2, and the average commute is 19 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Palo Alto County, so you can benchmark 51342 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 51342

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Graettinger, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51342.

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 51342, Graettinger, 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

1,249

Population

215.3

Area (sq mi)

6

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 51342?

42.2

Median Age

53.1%

Male

46.9%

Female

7.3%

Foreign-Born

White 83.9%
African American 6.2%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

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?

$84,866

Median Household Income

+11% vs state

$32,810

Per Capita Income

5.8%

Poverty Rate

0.5%

Unemployment Rate

19.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51342 ranks nationally

Graettinger, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$84,866 Top 32% higher than 68% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 40.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

640

Total Housing Units

601

Occupied Units

39

Vacant Units

2.30

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.2%
Renter 16.8%

$108,900

Median Home Value

-38% vs state

$518

Median Rent

1956

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 51342, employing approximately 294 people with a combined annual payroll of $20,297,000.

23

Businesses

294

Employees

$20.3M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 3 13.0%
Retail trade 3 13.0%
Information 3 13.0%
Accommodation and food services 3 13.0%

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 51342 vs 51365 →

ZIP 51342 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 51342 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 51342 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 51342 ranks the highest of 3 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
51365 Wallingford, IA 453 4.4 mi
50536 Emmetsburg, IA 4,541 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Palo Alto County

50536 standard
Emmetsburg, IA
Pop: 4,541
51358 standard
Ruthven, IA
Pop: 1,310
50597 standard
West Bend, IA
Pop: 1,293
50562 standard
Mallard, IA
Pop: 527
50528 standard
Cylinder, IA
Pop: 383
50515 standard
Ayrshire, IA
Pop: 279

Related Areas

Palo Alto County Graettinger, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51342 in? ▼
ZIP code 51342 (Graettinger) is located in Palo Alto County, Iowa. Palo Alto County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/palo-alto-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51342? ▼
ZIP code 51342 in Graettinger, IA has a population of 1,249 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51342? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51342 is $84,866, which is 11% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51342? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51342 is $108,900, which is 61% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51342? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51342 is White at 83.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51342? ▼
ZIP code 51342 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 294 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51342? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51342 are: Manufacturing (3), Retail trade (3), Information (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51342? ▼
In ZIP code 51342, 40.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.2% 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 51342? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51342 is 19.1 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 51342? ▼
In ZIP code 51342, approximately 83.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51342? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51342 is 5.8% 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.