PlainZIP

Arion, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51520

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

233
5/sq mi
$60,843
Median income
$146,600
Median home value
3.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

30th pct
household income, US ZIPs
24th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51520 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51520 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Arion, Crawford County, Iowa, home to just 233 residents across 48.5 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51520 reports a modest median household income of $60,843 (21% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $25,543. 2.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 0.0%. Housing costs here run $146,600 for a typical home value (17% below the state average), with rent averaging $592 a month; 77.8% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 3.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57.9, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Crawford County, letting you compare 51520 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 →

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 51520, Arion, 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

233

Population

48.5

Area (sq mi)

5

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 51520?

57.9

Median Age

53.5%

Male

46.5%

Female

1.6%

Foreign-Born

White 92.6%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

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?

$60,843

Median Household Income

-21% vs state

$25,543

Per Capita Income

2.1%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 51520 ranks nationally

Arion, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$60,843 30th percentile higher than 30% 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 58.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 3.2%

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

What does housing look like?

123

Total Housing Units

117

Occupied Units

6

Vacant Units

2.08

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.8%
Renter 22.2%

$146,600

Median Home Value

-17% vs state

$592

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 7 business establishments in ZIP 51520, employing approximately 160 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,638,000.

7

Businesses

160

Employees

$6.6M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 3 42.9%
Transportation and warehousing 3 42.9%

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 51520 vs 51528 →

ZIP 51520 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 51520 ranks #5 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 51520 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 51520 ranks #4 of 5 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
51528 Dow City, IA 931 3.6 mi
51442 Denison, IA 9,838 6.8 mi
51439 Charter Oak, IA 1,047 10.2 mi
51527 Defiance, IA 530 11.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Crawford County

51442 standard
Denison, IA
Pop: 9,838
51454 standard
Manilla, IA
Pop: 1,346
51461 standard
Schleswig, IA
Pop: 1,165
51439 standard
Charter Oak, IA
Pop: 1,047
51528 standard
Dow City, IA
Pop: 931
51465 standard
Vail, IA
Pop: 733

Related Areas

Crawford County Arion, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51520 in? ▼
ZIP code 51520 (Arion) is located in Crawford County, Iowa. Crawford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/crawford-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51520? ▼
ZIP code 51520 in Arion, IA has a population of 233 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51520? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51520 is $60,843, which is 20% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51520? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51520 is $146,600, which is 47% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51520? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51520 is White at 92.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51520? ▼
ZIP code 51520 has 7 business establishments employing approximately 160 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51520? ▼
In ZIP code 51520, 58.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 3.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51520? ▼
In ZIP code 51520, approximately 77.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51520? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51520 is 2.1% 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.