Lewis, IA · standard
ZIP Code 51544
Cass County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 721
- 5/sq mi Low-density area
- $48,313
- Median income Below-median income area
- $81,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 16.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lewis pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 12th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 5th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51544 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 51544 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lewis, Cass County, Iowa, home to just 721 residents across 144.2 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 51544 reports a modest median household income of $48,313 (37% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $26,457. The poverty rate is 8.1%, with unemployment at 3.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $81,000 (54% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $628; owner occupancy is 81.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cass County, so 51544 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 51544, Lewis, 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
721
Population
144.2
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 51544?
40.9
Median Age
47.5%
Male
52.5%
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?
$48,313
Median Household Income
-37% vs state ZIP avg
$26,457
Per Capita Income
8.1%
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 51544 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Lewis, 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)
$48,313 4th percentile higher than 4% 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
376housing units
376
Total Housing Units
321
Occupied Units
55
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$81,000
Median Home Value
-54% vs state ZIP avg
$628
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 10 business establishments in ZIP 51544, employing approximately 43 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,531,000.
10
Businesses
43
Employees
$1.5M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 51544 vs 51535 →
ZIP 51544 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50022
Atlantic (50022)
8,494 residents
- 51535 1,923
Griswold (51535)
1,923 residents
- 51544 721
Lewis (51544)
721 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51544 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51544 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51535
Griswold (51535)
$76,371 median income
- 50022
Atlantic (50022)
$63,125 median income
- 51544
Lewis (51544)
$48,313 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 51544 ranks #3 of 3 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 51544, 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 Cass County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 51544 in?
ZIP code 51544 (Lewis) is located in Cass County, Iowa. Cass County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cass-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51544?
ZIP code 51544 in Lewis, IA has a population of 721 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51544?
The median household income in ZIP 51544 is $48,313, which is 37% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51544?
The median home value in ZIP 51544 is $81,000, which is 71% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51544?
The largest racial group in ZIP 51544 is White at 94.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51544?
ZIP code 51544 has 10 business establishments employing approximately 43 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51544?
In ZIP code 51544, 42.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.4% 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 51544?
In ZIP code 51544, approximately 81.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51544?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51544 is 8.1% 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 51544's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51544 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lewis, 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.