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 Low-density area
- $60,843
- Median income Below-median income area
- $146,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 3.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,543. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 2.1% and unemployment is 0.0%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $146,600 (17% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $592; owner occupancy is 77.8%.
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 -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Crawford County, so 51520 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 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
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 ZIP avg
$25,543
Per Capita Income
2.1%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51520 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Arion, 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)
$60,843 19th percentile higher than 19% 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
123housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51520, 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 Crawford County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51520's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51520 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Arion, 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.