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 Low-density area
- $64,750
- Median income Near-median income area
- $123,400
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 22.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Defiance, Shelby County, Iowa, home to just 530 residents across 100.0 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51527 reports a modest median household income of $64,750 (15% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $47,289. The poverty rate is 8.0%, with unemployment at 0.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $123,400 (30% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $689; owner occupancy is 88.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.4, and the average commute is 17 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Shelby County, so 51527 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 51527, Defiance, 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
530
Population
100.0
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51527?
37.4
Median Age
51.7%
Male
48.3%
Female
3.0%
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?
$64,750
Median Household Income
-15% vs state ZIP avg
$47,289
Per Capita Income
8.0%
Poverty Rate
0.5%
Unemployment Rate
17.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51527 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Defiance, 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)
$64,750 29th percentile higher than 29% 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
170housing units
170
Total Housing Units
166
Occupied Units
4
Vacant Units
2.18
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$123,400
Median Home Value
-30% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 51454
Manilla (51454)
1,346 residents
- 51530
Earling (51530)
854 residents
- 51527 530
Defiance (51527)
530 residents
- 51520 233
Arion (51520)
233 residents
- 51578 79
Westphalia (51578)
79 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51527 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51527 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51454
Manilla (51454)
$100,625 median income
- 51578
Westphalia (51578)
$77,292 median income
- 51530
Earling (51530)
$73,750 median income
- 51527
Defiance (51527)
$64,750 median income
- 51520
Arion (51520)
$60,843 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51527, 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 Shelby County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51527's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51527 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Defiance, 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.