PlainZIP

Elk Horn, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51531

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

914
12/sq mi
$59,199
Median income
$131,500
Median home value
28.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs
20th pct
home value, US ZIPs
12
people per sq mi
78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51531 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51531 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Elk Horn, Shelby County, Iowa, home to just 914 residents across 73.7 square miles, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51531 reports a modest median household income of $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%. Housing costs here run $131,500 for a typical home value (25% below the state average), with rent averaging $668 a month; 78.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 51531, plus 6 more within Shelby County, give a clearer read than the 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 51531

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Elk Horn, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51531.

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 51531, Elk Horn, 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

914

Population

73.7

Area (sq mi)

12

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 51531?

46.0

Median Age

51.1%

Male

48.9%

Female

3.1%

Foreign-Born

White 89.5%
African American 0.0%
Asian 6.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

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?

$59,199

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$37,230

Per Capita Income

9.6%

Poverty Rate

1.4%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 51531 ranks nationally

Elk Horn, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$59,199 28th percentile higher than 28% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 65.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.6%

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

What does housing look like?

461

Total Housing Units

389

Occupied Units

72

Vacant Units

2.13

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.4%
Renter 21.6%

$131,500

Median Home Value

-25% vs state

$668

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 29 business establishments in ZIP 51531, employing approximately 450 people with a combined annual payroll of $41,142,000.

29

Businesses

450

Employees

$41.1M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 5 17.2%
Finance and insurance 4 13.8%
Retail trade 3 10.3%
Health care and social assistance 3 10.3%
Accommodation and food services 3 10.3%

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 51531 vs 51543 →

ZIP 51531 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 51531 ranks #2 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 51531 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 51531 ranks #5 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
51543 Kimballton, IA 445 4.7 mi
51552 Marne, IA 301 6.9 mi
51447 Kirkman, IA 228 10.8 mi
51577 Walnut, IA 1,184 10.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Shelby County

51537 standard
Harlan, IA
Pop: 6,703
51530 standard
Earling, IA
Pop: 854
51527 standard
Defiance, IA
Pop: 530
51446 standard
Irwin, IA
Pop: 511
51565 standard
Portsmouth, IA
Pop: 501
51562 standard
Panama, IA
Pop: 449

Related Areas

Shelby County Elk Horn, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51531 in? ▼
ZIP code 51531 (Elk Horn) 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 51531? ▼
ZIP code 51531 in Elk Horn, IA has a population of 914 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51531? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51531 is $59,199, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51531? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51531 is $131,500, which is 53% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51531? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51531 is White at 89.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51531? ▼
ZIP code 51531 has 29 business establishments employing approximately 450 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51531? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51531 are: Transportation and warehousing (5), Finance and insurance (4), Retail trade (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51531? ▼
In ZIP code 51531, 65.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.6% 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 51531? ▼
In ZIP code 51531, approximately 78.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51531? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51531 is 9.6% 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.