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 Low-density area
- $73,769
- Median income Near-median income area
- $202,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 28.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 51521 (Avoca, IA) rose +16.0% from 2023 to 2024.
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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $46,316. The poverty rate is 8.9%, with unemployment at 1.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $202,800 (15% above the average Iowa ZIP), while 73.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $860.
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. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Pottawattamie County, so 51521 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 51521
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Avoca, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51521.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
13 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
10 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
6 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 51521?
45.2
Median Age
44.2%
Male
55.8%
Female
1.4%
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?
$73,769
Median Household Income
-4% vs state ZIP avg
$46,316
Per Capita Income
8.9%
Poverty Rate
1.0%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51521 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Avoca, 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)
$73,769 Top 50% higher than 50% 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
965housing units
965
Total Housing Units
878
Occupied Units
87
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$202,800
Median Home Value
+15% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 51521
Avoca (51521)
2,036 residents
- 51577
Walnut (51577)
1,184 residents
- 51570
Shelby (51570)
1,039 residents
- 51536 448
Hancock (51536)
448 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51521 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51521 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51536
Hancock (51536)
$101,750 median income
- 51570
Shelby (51570)
$77,708 median income
- 51521
Avoca (51521)
$73,769 median income
- 51577
Walnut (51577)
$71,518 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51521, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,036 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Pottawattamie County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51521's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51521 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Avoca, 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.