Melvin, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51350
Osceola County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 411
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $77,250
- Median income Near-median income area
- $79,300
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 9.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Melvin pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 42%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 4th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51350 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51350 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Melvin, Osceola County, Iowa, home to just 411 residents across 111.1 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51350 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $77,250 (1% above the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $39,222. The poverty rate is 8.6%, with unemployment at 1.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $79,300 (55% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $390; owner occupancy is 84.7%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 9.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.9, and the average commute is 20 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Osceola County, so 51350 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 →
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 51350, Melvin, 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
411
Population
111.1
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51350?
41.9
Median Age
57.4%
Male
42.6%
Female
5.5%
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?
$77,250
Median Household Income
+1% vs state ZIP avg
$39,222
Per Capita Income
8.6%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
20.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51350 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Melvin, 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)
$77,250 Top 42% higher than 58% 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
189housing units
189
Total Housing Units
157
Occupied Units
32
Vacant Units
2.44
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$79,300
Median Home Value
-55% vs state ZIP avg
$390
Median Rent
1954
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 4 business establishments in ZIP 51350, employing approximately 35 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,143,000.
4
Businesses
35
Employees
$2.1M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 51350 vs 51354 →
ZIP 51350 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
- 51346
Hartley (51346)
2,451 residents
- 51248
Sanborn (51248)
1,857 residents
- 51354 1,096
Ocheyedan (51354)
1,096 residents
- 51350 411
Melvin (51350)
411 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51350 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51350 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51350
Melvin (51350)
$77,250 median income
- 51354
Ocheyedan (51354)
$72,639 median income
- 51346
Hartley (51346)
$72,426 median income
- 51248
Sanborn (51248)
$64,375 median income
- 51249
Sibley (51249)
$61,500 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51350 ranks the highest of 5 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 51350, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
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 51350 in?
ZIP code 51350 (Melvin) 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 51350?
ZIP code 51350 in Melvin, IA has a population of 411 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51350?
The median household income in ZIP 51350 is $77,250, which is 1% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51350?
The median home value in ZIP 51350 is $79,300, which is 71% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51350?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51350 is White at 86.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51350?
ZIP code 51350 has 4 business establishments employing approximately 35 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51350?
In ZIP code 51350, 57.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 9.2% 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 51350?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51350 is 20.1 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 51350?
In ZIP code 51350, approximately 84.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51350?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51350 is 8.6% 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 51350's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51350 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Melvin, 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.