ZIP Code 51531

ZIP code 51531 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 73.7 square miles in Elk Horn, Shelby County, Iowa. The area is home to 914 residents, producing a population density of 12 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 51531 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51531 sits at $59,199 (23% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $37,230. The poverty rate stands at 9.6% and the unemployment rate at 1.4%. On housing, the median home value is $131,500 (25% below the state average) with median rent at $668 per month, and 78.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51531 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Shelby County, so you can benchmark 51531 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 →