Carroll, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51401

Carroll County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 10, 2026

12,373
27/sq mi: $70,702
Median income: $195,700
Median home value: 27.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Carroll pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

48th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 42th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 27
people per sq mi: 74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51401 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51401 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 453.2 square miles in Carroll, Carroll County, Iowa. The area is home to 12,373 residents, producing a population density of 27 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 51401 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51401 sits at $70,702 (8% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $41,907. The poverty rate stands at 7.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.1%. On housing, the median home value is $195,700 (11% above the state average) with median rent at $726 per month, and 73.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51401 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 27.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43, and the average commute is 13 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Carroll County, so you can benchmark 51401 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 51401

Health care and social assistance

89
Retail trade

86
Construction

69
Other services (except public administration)

51
Accommodation and food services

44

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 51401, Carroll, IA · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-10 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

12,373

Population

453.2

Area (sq mi)

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 51401?

43.0

Median Age

48.6%

Male

51.4%

Female

2.2%

Foreign-Born

White 92.0%

African American 1.0%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.4%

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?

$70,702

Median Household Income

-8% vs state

$41,907

Per Capita Income

7.9%

Poverty Rate

2.1%

Unemployment Rate

12.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51401 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$70,702 48th percentile higher than 48% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 65.6%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.1%

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

What does housing look like?

5,670

Total Housing Units

5,310

Occupied Units

360

Vacant Units

2.18

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.7%

Renter 26.3%

$195,700

Median Home Value

+11% vs state

$726

Median Rent

1970

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+10.5%

YoY Change (2024)

213

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+113%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 51401 have increased 10.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +113% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+2.4%	159
2021	+4.3%	166
2022	+14.1%	189
2023	+1.9%	193
2024	+10.5%	213

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 541 business establishments in ZIP 51401, employing approximately 8,344 people with a combined annual payroll of $410,763,000.

541

Businesses

8,344

Employees

$410.8M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Health care and social assistance	89	16.4%
Retail trade	86	15.9%
Construction	69	12.8%
Other services (except public administration)	51	9.4%
Accommodation and food services	44	8.1%
Finance and insurance	35	6.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	31	5.7%
Wholesale trade	30	5.5%
Transportation and warehousing	24	4.4%
Manufacturing	22	4.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	18	3.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing	17	3.1%
Information	7	1.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	5	0.9%
Educational services	5	0.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	3	0.6%

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 51401 vs 51444 →

51401

12,373
51436

904
51444

246

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51401 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

51444

$82,750
51401

$70,702
51436

$61,926

What this shows By household income, ZIP 51401 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
51444	Halbur, IA	246	6.8 mi
51436	Breda, IA	904	11.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Carroll County

Carroll County Carroll, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51401 in? ▼

ZIP code 51401 (Carroll) is located in Carroll County, Iowa. Carroll County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/carroll-ia.

What is the population of ZIP code 51401? ▼

ZIP code 51401 in Carroll, IA has a population of 12,373 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 51401? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 51401 is $70,702, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 51401? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 51401 is $195,700, which is 30% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51401? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 51401 is White at 92.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 51401? ▼

ZIP code 51401 has 541 business establishments employing approximately 8,344 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 51401? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51401 are: Health care and social assistance (89), Retail trade (86), Construction (69). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 51401? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 51401 increased by 10.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 113%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 51401? ▼

In ZIP code 51401, 65.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.1% 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 51401? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51401 is 12.8 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 51401? ▼

In ZIP code 51401, approximately 73.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51401? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 51401 is 7.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.