PlainZIP

Malvern, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51551

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

1,828
9/sq mi
$85,469
Median income
$212,400
Median home value
25.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Malvern pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 32%
household income, US ZIPs
47th pct
home value, US ZIPs
9
people per sq mi
86%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51551 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51551 covers 210.1 square miles in Malvern, Mills County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,828 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51551 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $85,469 (12% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $45,789. Local economic indicators show a 4.7% poverty rate alongside 0.6% unemployment. Median home value sits at $212,400 (21% above the state average), median rent at $870 a month, and owner-occupancy at 85.9%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 29 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 51551, plus 6 more within Mills 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 51551

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Malvern, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51551.

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 51551, Malvern, 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

1,828

Population

210.1

Area (sq mi)

9

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 51551?

40.8

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

0.4%

Foreign-Born

White 98.3%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%

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?

$85,469

Median Household Income

+12% vs state

$45,789

Per Capita Income

4.7%

Poverty Rate

0.6%

Unemployment Rate

29.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51551 ranks nationally

Malvern, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$85,469 Top 32% higher than 68% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 56.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.1%

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

What does housing look like?

734

Total Housing Units

633

Occupied Units

101

Vacant Units

2.83

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 85.9%
Renter 14.1%

$212,400

Median Home Value

+21% vs state

$870

Median Rent

1955

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 40 business establishments in ZIP 51551, employing approximately 254 people with a combined annual payroll of $11,943,000.

40

Businesses

254

Employees

$11.9M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 5 12.5%
Transportation and warehousing 5 12.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 12.5%
Other services (except public administration) 5 12.5%
Construction 4 10.0%
Health care and social assistance 4 10.0%
Wholesale trade 3 7.5%

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 51551 vs 51540 →

ZIP 51551 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 51551 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 51551 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 51551 ranks #2 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 5.2 mi
51534 Glenwood, IA 9,236 7.5 mi
51653 Tabor, IA 1,379 8.6 mi
51649 Randolph, IA 328 10.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Mills County

51534 standard
Glenwood, IA
Pop: 9,236
51561 standard
Pacific Junction, IA
Pop: 1,455
51533 standard
Emerson, IA
Pop: 895
51571 standard
Silver City, IA
Pop: 649
51540 standard
Hastings, IA
Pop: 449
51541 standard
Henderson, IA
Pop: 363

Related Areas

Mills County Malvern, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51551 in? ▼
ZIP code 51551 (Malvern) 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 51551? ▼
ZIP code 51551 in Malvern, IA has a population of 1,828 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51551? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51551 is $85,469, which is 12% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51551? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51551 is $212,400, which is 24% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51551? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51551 is White at 98.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51551? ▼
ZIP code 51551 has 40 business establishments employing approximately 254 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51551? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51551 are: Retail trade (5), Transportation and warehousing (5), Professional, scientific, and technical services (5). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51551? ▼
In ZIP code 51551, 56.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.1% 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 51551? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51551 is 29.0 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 51551? ▼
In ZIP code 51551, approximately 85.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51551? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51551 is 4.7% 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.