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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 190.0 square miles in Dow City, Crawford County, Iowa. The area is home to 931 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 51528 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51528 sits at $63,173 (18% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $37,426. The poverty rate stands at 14.5% and the unemployment rate at 0.5%. On housing, the median home value is $117,900 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $742 per month, and 66.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51528 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 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 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 51528
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51528.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
3 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
931
Population
190.0
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51528?
36.6
Median Age
53.4%
Male
46.6%
Female
2.5%
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?
$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
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
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?
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
$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.
- 51442
Denison (51442)
9,838 residents
- 51529 1,671
Dunlap (51529)
1,671 residents
- 51528 931
Dow City (51528)
931 residents
- 51530 854
Earling (51530)
854 residents
- 51520 233
Arion (51520)
233 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51528 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51528 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51530
Earling (51530)
$73,750 median income
- 51442
Denison (51442)
$66,767 median income
- 51528
Dow City (51528)
$63,173 median income
- 51529
Dunlap (51529)
$61,599 median income
- 51520
Arion (51520)
$60,843 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.
More ZIP Codes in Crawford County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51528 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51528? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51528? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51528? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51528? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51528? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51528? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51528? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51528? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51528? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Dow City, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.