PlainZIP

Dow City, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51528

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

931
5/sq mi
$63,173
Median income
$117,900
Median home value
13.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

35th pct
household income, US ZIPs
16th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
67%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51528 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51528 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Dow City, Crawford County, Iowa, home to just 931 residents across 190.0 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51528 reports a modest median household income of $63,173 (18% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $37,426. 14.5% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 0.5%. The typical home here is valued at $117,900 (33% below the state average); renters pay a median of $742 monthly, and 66.7% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.6, and the average commute is -. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Crawford County, so you can benchmark 51528 against its immediate geography rather than a 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 51528

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Dow City, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51528.

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 51528, Dow City, 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

931

Population

190.0

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 51528?

36.6

Median Age

53.4%

Male

46.6%

Female

2.5%

Foreign-Born

White 87.7%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%

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?

$63,173

Median Household Income

-18% vs state

$37,426

Per Capita Income

14.5%

Poverty Rate

0.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 51528 ranks nationally

Dow City, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$63,173 35th percentile higher than 35% 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 61.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.1%

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

What does housing look like?

291

Total Housing Units

285

Occupied Units

6

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 66.7%
Renter 33.3%

$117,900

Median Home Value

-33% vs state

$742

Median Rent

1958

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 51528, employing approximately 88 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,168,000.

18

Businesses

88

Employees

$2.2M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 4 22.2%
Construction 3 16.7%
Transportation and warehousing 3 16.7%
Accommodation and food services 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 51528 vs 51520 →

ZIP 51528 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 51528 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 51528 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 51528 ranks #3 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
51520 Arion, IA 233 3.6 mi
51529 Dunlap, IA 1,671 7.9 mi
51530 Earling, IA 854 10.6 mi
51442 Denison, IA 9,838 10.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Crawford County

51442 standard
Denison, IA
Pop: 9,838
51454 standard
Manilla, IA
Pop: 1,346
51461 standard
Schleswig, IA
Pop: 1,165
51439 standard
Charter Oak, IA
Pop: 1,047
51465 standard
Vail, IA
Pop: 733
51467 standard
Westside, IA
Pop: 615

Related Areas

Crawford County Dow City, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51528 in? ▼
ZIP code 51528 (Dow City) is located in Crawford County, Iowa. Crawford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/crawford-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51528? ▼
ZIP code 51528 in Dow City, IA has a population of 931 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51528? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51528 is $63,173, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51528? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51528 is $117,900, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51528? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51528 is White at 87.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51528? ▼
ZIP code 51528 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 88 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51528? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51528 are: Other services (except public administration) (4), Construction (3), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51528? ▼
In ZIP code 51528, 61.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51528? ▼
In ZIP code 51528, approximately 66.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51528? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51528 is 14.5% 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.