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 Low-density area
- $85,469
- Median income Above-median income area
- $212,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 25.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $45,789. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 4.7% and unemployment is 0.6%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $212,400 (21% above the average Iowa ZIP), while 85.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $870.
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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Mills County, so 51551 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 51551
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Malvern, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51551.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Construction
Construction
4 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 51551?
40.8
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
0.4%
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?
$85,469
Median Household Income
+12% vs state ZIP avg
$45,789
Per Capita Income
4.7%
Poverty Rate
0.6%
Unemployment Rate
29.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 51551 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Malvern, 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)
$85,469 Top 27% higher than 73% 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
734housing units
734
Total Housing Units
633
Occupied Units
101
Vacant Units
2.83
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$212,400
Median Home Value
+21% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 51534
Glenwood (51534)
9,236 residents
- 51551 1,828
Malvern (51551)
1,828 residents
- 51653 1,379
Tabor (51653)
1,379 residents
- 51540 449
Hastings (51540)
449 residents
- 51649 328
Randolph (51649)
328 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 51551 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 51551 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51534
Glenwood (51534)
$93,646 median income
- 51551
Malvern (51551)
$85,469 median income
- 51540
Hastings (51540)
$84,375 median income
- 51653
Tabor (51653)
$71,319 median income
- 51649
Randolph (51649)
$58,333 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 51551, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,828 here; floor ≥1,000).
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 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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 51551's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 51551 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Malvern, 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.