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 Low-density area
- $73,750
- Median income Near-median income area
- $163,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 27.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Earling pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 32nd 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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Earling, Shelby County, Iowa, home to just 854 residents across 140.0 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51530 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,750 (4% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $40,494. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.3% and unemployment is 2.9%. Median home value is $163,800 (7% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $837; 82.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Shelby County, so 51530 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 51530
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Earling, IA
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$40,494
Per Capita Income
5.3%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51530 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Earling, 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)
$73,750 49th percentile higher than 49% 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
421housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51530, 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 51530 in?
ZIP code 51530 (Earling) 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 51530?
ZIP code 51530 in Earling, IA has a population of 854 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51530?
The median household income in ZIP 51530 is $73,750, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51530?
The median home value in ZIP 51530 is $163,800, which is 41% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51530?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51530 is White at 94.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51530?
ZIP code 51530 has 21 business establishments employing approximately 75 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51530?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51530 are: Construction (3), Retail trade (3), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51530?
In ZIP code 51530, 56.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.4% 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 51530?
In ZIP code 51530, approximately 82.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51530?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51530 is 5.3% 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 51530's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51530 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Earling, 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.