Earling, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51530
Shelby County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 854
- 6/sq mi
- $73,750
- Median income
- $163,800
- Median home value
- 27.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Earling pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 32th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51530 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51530 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 140.0 square miles in Earling, Shelby County, Iowa. The area is home to 854 residents, producing a population density of 6 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 51530 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51530 sits at $73,750 (4% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $40,494. The poverty rate stands at 5.3% and the unemployment rate at 2.9%. On housing, the median home value is $163,800 (7% below the state average) with median rent at $837 per month, and 82.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51530 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 27.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.3, and the average commute is —. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Shelby County, so you can benchmark 51530 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 51530
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51530.
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
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 51530, Earling, 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
854
Population
140.0
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51530?
39.3
Median Age
42.6%
Male
57.4%
Female
0.0%
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?
$73,750
Median Household Income
-4% vs state
$40,494
Per Capita Income
5.3%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51530 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,750 Top 47% higher than 53% 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?
421
Total Housing Units
365
Occupied Units
56
Vacant Units
2.12
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$163,800
Median Home Value
-7% vs state
$837
Median Rent
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 21 business establishments in ZIP 51530, employing approximately 75 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,765,000.
21
Businesses
75
Employees
$2.8M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3 | 14.3% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 14.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 14.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 14.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 14.3% |
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 51530 vs 51578 →
ZIP 51530 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51537
Harlan (51537)
6,703 residents
- 51528 931
Dow City (51528)
931 residents
- 51530 854
Earling (51530)
854 residents
- 51527 530
Defiance (51527)
530 residents
- 51565 501
Portsmouth (51565)
501 residents
- 51562 449
Panama (51562)
449 residents
- 51578 79
Westphalia (51578)
79 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51530 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51530 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51565
Portsmouth (51565)
$103,257 median income
- 51562
Panama (51562)
$81,250 median income
- 51578
Westphalia (51578)
$77,292 median income
- 51530
Earling (51530)
$73,750 median income
- 51537
Harlan (51537)
$65,000 median income
- 51527
Defiance (51527)
$64,750 median income
- 51528
Dow City (51528)
$63,173 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51530 ranks #4 of 7 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Shelby County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51530 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 51530? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 51530? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 51530? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51530? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51530? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51530? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 51530? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51530? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51530? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Earling, 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.