Defiance, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51527

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

530
5/sq mi
$64,750
Median income
$123,400
Median home value
22.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Defiance pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

38th pct
household income, US ZIPs
18th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
89%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51527 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51527 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 100.0 square miles in Defiance, Shelby County, Iowa. The area is home to 530 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 51527 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51527 sits at $64,750 (15% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $47,289. The poverty rate stands at 8.0% and the unemployment rate at 0.5%. On housing, the median home value is $123,400 (30% below the state average) with median rent at $689 per month, and 88.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51527 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.4, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Shelby County, so you can benchmark 51527 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 51527, Defiance, 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

530

Population

100.0

Area (sq mi)

5

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 51527?

37.4

Median Age

51.7%

Male

48.3%

Female

3.0%

Foreign-Born

White 95.0%
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 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%

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?

$64,750

Median Household Income

-15% vs state

$47,289

Per Capita Income

8.0%

Poverty Rate

0.5%

Unemployment Rate

17.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51527 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,750 38th percentile higher than 38% 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 60.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.5%

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

What does housing look like?

170

Total Housing Units

166

Occupied Units

4

Vacant Units

2.18

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 88.6%
Renter 11.4%

$123,400

Median Home Value

-30% vs state

$689

Median Rent

1963

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 18 business establishments in ZIP 51527, employing approximately 143 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,031,000.

18

Businesses

143

Employees

$7.0M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 6 33.3%
Other services (except public administration) 3 16.7%

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 51527 vs 51530 →

ZIP 51527 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 51527 ranks #3 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 51527 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 51527 ranks #4 of 5 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
51530 Earling, IA 854 5.1 mi
51578 Westphalia, IA 79 7.7 mi
51454 Manilla, IA 1,346 8.0 mi
51520 Arion, IA 233 11.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Shelby County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51527 in?
ZIP code 51527 (Defiance) is located in Shelby County, Iowa. Shelby County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/shelby-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51527?
ZIP code 51527 in Defiance, IA has a population of 530 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51527?
The median household income in ZIP 51527 is $64,750, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51527?
The median home value in ZIP 51527 is $123,400, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51527?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51527 is White at 95.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51527?
ZIP code 51527 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 143 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51527?
In ZIP code 51527, 60.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.5% 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 51527?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51527 is 17.1 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 51527?
In ZIP code 51527, approximately 88.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51527?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51527 is 8.0% 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 Defiance, IA

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