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
$68,750
Median income
$136,500
Median home value
13.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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
22th 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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 213.1 square miles in Emerson, Mills County, Iowa. The area is home to 895 residents, producing a population density of 4 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 51533 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 51533 sits at $68,750 (10% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $35,140. The poverty rate stands at 10.2% and the unemployment rate at 2.9%. On housing, the median home value is $136,500 (22% below the state average) with median rent at $1,034 per month, and 88.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 51533 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 13.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Mills County, so you can benchmark 51533 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 →

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 51533, Emerson, 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

895

Population

213.1

Area (sq mi)

4

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 51533?

44.8

Median Age

50.6%

Male

49.4%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 96.2%
African American 0.0%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.7%

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

$35,140

Per Capita Income

10.2%

Poverty Rate

2.9%

Unemployment Rate

27.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51533 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$68,750 45th percentile higher than 45% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 46.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.1%

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

What does housing look like?

395

Total Housing Units

359

Occupied Units

36

Vacant Units

2.35

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 88.0%
Renter 12.0%

$136,500

Median Home Value

-22% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51533 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 51533 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 51533 ranks #4 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
51540 Hastings, IA 449 6.2 mi
51541 Henderson, IA 363 7.1 mi
51566 Red Oak, IA 7,035 7.9 mi
51549 Macedonia, IA 465 10.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Mills County

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.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Emerson, IA

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.