Carson, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51525

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

1,184
8/sq mi
$82,308
Median income
$196,700
Median home value
26.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 35%
household income, US ZIPs
43th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51525 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51525 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 155.8 square miles in Carson, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,184 residents, producing a population density of 8 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 51525 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51525 sits at $82,308 (7% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $40,458. The poverty rate stands at 6.5% and the unemployment rate at 2.2%. On housing, the median home value is $196,700 (12% above the state average) with median rent at $728 per month, and 83.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51525 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.7, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pottawattamie County, so you can benchmark 51525 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 51525, Carson, 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

1,184

Population

155.8

Area (sq mi)

8

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 51525?

46.7

Median Age

48.8%

Male

51.2%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 94.3%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%

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?

$82,308

Median Household Income

+7% vs state

$40,458

Per Capita Income

6.5%

Poverty Rate

2.2%

Unemployment Rate

30.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51525 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$82,308 Top 35% higher than 65% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 60.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.4%

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

What does housing look like?

476

Total Housing Units

464

Occupied Units

12

Vacant Units

2.30

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.0%
Renter 17.0%

$196,700

Median Home Value

+12% vs state

$728

Median Rent

1964

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 19 business establishments in ZIP 51525, employing approximately 62 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,893,000.

19

Businesses

62

Employees

$1.9M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 5 26.3%

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 51525 vs 51549 →

ZIP 51525 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 51525 ranks #2 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 51525 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 51525 ranks #2 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
51549 Macedonia, IA 465 4.0 mi
51560 Oakland, IA 2,099 5.8 mi
51541 Henderson, IA 363 6.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pottawattamie County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51525 in?
ZIP code 51525 (Carson) 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 51525?
ZIP code 51525 in Carson, IA has a population of 1,184 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51525?
The median household income in ZIP 51525 is $82,308, which is 8% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51525?
The median home value in ZIP 51525 is $196,700, which is 29% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51525?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51525 is White at 94.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51525?
ZIP code 51525 has 19 business establishments employing approximately 62 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51525?
In ZIP code 51525, 60.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.4% 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 51525?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51525 is 30.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51525?
In ZIP code 51525, approximately 83.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51525?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51525 is 6.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Carson, IA

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.