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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 48.5 square miles in Arion, Crawford County, Iowa. The area is home to 233 residents, producing a population density of 5 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 51520 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51520 sits at $60,843 (21% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $25,543. The poverty rate stands at 2.1% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $146,600 (17% below the state average) with median rent at $592 per month, and 77.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51520 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 3.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57.9, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Crawford County, so you can benchmark 51520 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 →
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 51520, Arion, IA · 2023 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
233
Population
48.5
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51520?
57.9
Median Age
53.5%
Male
46.5%
Female
1.6%
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?
$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
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
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?
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
$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.
- 51442
Denison (51442)
9,838 residents
- 51439 1,047
Charter Oak (51439)
1,047 residents
- 51528 931
Dow City (51528)
931 residents
- 51527 530
Defiance (51527)
530 residents
- 51520 233
Arion (51520)
233 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51520 ranks #5 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51520 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51442
Denison (51442)
$66,767 median income
- 51527
Defiance (51527)
$64,750 median income
- 51528
Dow City (51528)
$63,173 median income
- 51520
Arion (51520)
$60,843 median income
- 51439
Charter Oak (51439)
$52,941 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.
More ZIP Codes in Crawford County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51520 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51520? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51520? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51520? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51520? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51520? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51520? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51520? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51520? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Arion, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.