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 Low-density area
- $84,866
- Median income Above-median income area
- $108,900
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,810. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.8% and unemployment is 0.5%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $108,900 (38% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $518; owner occupancy is 83.2%.
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. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Palo Alto County, so 51342 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 51342
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Graettinger, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51342.
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
3 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Information
Information
3 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
3 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 51342?
42.2
Median Age
53.1%
Male
46.9%
Female
7.3%
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?
$84,866
Median Household Income
+11% vs state ZIP avg
$32,810
Per Capita Income
5.8%
Poverty Rate
0.5%
Unemployment Rate
19.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51342 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Graettinger, 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)
$84,866 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
640housing units
640
Total Housing Units
601
Occupied Units
39
Vacant Units
2.30
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$108,900
Median Home Value
-38% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 50536
Emmetsburg (50536)
4,541 residents
- 51342 1,249
Graettinger (51342)
1,249 residents
- 51365 453
Wallingford (51365)
453 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51342 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51342 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51342
Graettinger (51342)
$84,866 median income
- 51365
Wallingford (51365)
$71,667 median income
- 50536
Emmetsburg (50536)
$59,261 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51342, 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 (1,249 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Palo Alto County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51342's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51342 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Graettinger, 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.