PlainZIP

Avoca, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51521

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

2,036
9/sq mi
$73,769
Median income
$202,800
Median home value
28.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 47%
household income, US ZIPs
44th pct
home value, US ZIPs
9
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51521 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51521 covers 221.3 square miles in Avoca, Pottawattamie County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,036 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51521 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,769 (4% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $46,316. 8.9% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 1.0%. Median home value sits at $202,800 (15% above the state average), median rent at $860 a month, and owner-occupancy at 73.3%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.2, and the average commute is 23 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 51521, plus 6 more within Pottawattamie County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 51521

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Avoca, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51521.

establishments

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 51521, Avoca, 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

2,036

Population

221.3

Area (sq mi)

9

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 51521?

45.2

Median Age

44.2%

Male

55.8%

Female

1.4%

Foreign-Born

White 95.1%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

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?

$73,769

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$46,316

Per Capita Income

8.9%

Poverty Rate

1.0%

Unemployment Rate

23.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51521 ranks nationally

Avoca, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$73,769 Top 47% higher than 53% 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 61.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.0%

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

What does housing look like?

965

Total Housing Units

878

Occupied Units

87

Vacant Units

2.21

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.3%
Renter 26.7%

$202,800

Median Home Value

+15% vs state

$860

Median Rent

1948

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 63 business establishments in ZIP 51521, employing approximately 480 people with a combined annual payroll of $27,086,000.

63

Businesses

480

Employees

$27.1M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 13 20.6%
Accommodation and food services 10 15.9%
Construction 8 12.7%
Other services (except public administration) 7 11.1%
Transportation and warehousing 6 9.5%
Wholesale trade 5 7.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 4 6.3%
Health care and social assistance 3 4.8%

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 51521 vs 51536 →

ZIP 51521 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 51521 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 51521 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 51521 ranks #3 of 4 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
51536 Hancock, IA 448 6.4 mi
51577 Walnut, IA 1,184 7.3 mi
51570 Shelby, IA 1,039 6.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pottawattamie County

51503 standard
Council Bluffs, IA
Pop: 36,376
51501 standard
Council Bluffs, IA
Pop: 35,406
51510 standard
Carter Lake, IA
Pop: 3,785
51576 standard
Underwood, IA
Pop: 2,110
51560 standard
Oakland, IA
Pop: 2,099
51559 standard
Neola, IA
Pop: 1,788

Related Areas

Pottawattamie County Avoca, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51521 in? ▼
ZIP code 51521 (Avoca) is located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Pottawattamie County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pottawattamie-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51521? ▼
ZIP code 51521 in Avoca, IA has a population of 2,036 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51521? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51521 is $73,769, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51521? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51521 is $202,800, which is 27% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51521? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51521 is White at 95.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51521? ▼
ZIP code 51521 has 63 business establishments employing approximately 480 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51521? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51521 are: Retail trade (13), Accommodation and food services (10), Construction (8). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51521? ▼
In ZIP code 51521, 61.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.0% 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 51521? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51521 is 23.3 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 51521? ▼
In ZIP code 51521, approximately 73.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51521? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51521 is 8.9% 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.