Emerson, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51533
Mills County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 895
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $68,750
- Median income Near-median income area
- $136,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 13.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Emerson pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 45th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 22nd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51533 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51533 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Emerson, Mills County, Iowa, home to just 895 residents across 213.1 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51533 reports a modest median household income of $68,750 (10% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,140. The poverty rate is 10.2%, with unemployment at 2.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $136,500 (22% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $1,034; owner occupancy is 88.0%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Mills County, so 51533 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 →
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 51533, Emerson, 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
895
Population
213.1
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51533?
44.8
Median Age
50.6%
Male
49.4%
Female
1.1%
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?
$68,750
Median Household Income
-10% vs state ZIP avg
$35,140
Per Capita Income
10.2%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
27.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51533 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Emerson, 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)
$68,750 37th percentile higher than 37% 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
395housing units
395
Total Housing Units
359
Occupied Units
36
Vacant Units
2.35
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$136,500
Median Home Value
-22% vs state ZIP avg
$1,034
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 17 business establishments in ZIP 51533, employing approximately 93 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,555,000.
17
Businesses
93
Employees
$4.6M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 29.4% |
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 51533 vs 51540 →
ZIP 51533 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51566
Red Oak (51566)
7,035 residents
- 51533 895
Emerson (51533)
895 residents
- 51549 465
Macedonia (51549)
465 residents
- 51540 449
Hastings (51540)
449 residents
- 51541 363
Henderson (51541)
363 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51533 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51533 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51541
Henderson (51541)
$91,875 median income
- 51540
Hastings (51540)
$84,375 median income
- 51549
Macedonia (51549)
$72,500 median income
- 51533
Emerson (51533)
$68,750 median income
- 51566
Red Oak (51566)
$56,637 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51533 ranks #4 of 5 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 51533, 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 Mills County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51533 in?
ZIP code 51533 (Emerson) is located in Mills County, Iowa. Mills County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mills-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51533?
ZIP code 51533 in Emerson, IA has a population of 895 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51533?
The median household income in ZIP 51533 is $68,750, which is 10% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51533?
The median home value in ZIP 51533 is $136,500, which is 51% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51533?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51533 is White at 96.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51533?
ZIP code 51533 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 93 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51533?
In ZIP code 51533, 46.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 51533?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51533 is 27.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51533?
In ZIP code 51533, approximately 88.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51533?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51533 is 10.2% 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 51533's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51533 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Emerson, 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.