PlainZIP

Essex, IA · standard

ZIP Code 51638

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

1,299
6/sq mi
$59,107
Median income
$120,700
Median home value
17.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Essex pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs
17th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
82%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 51638 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 51638 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Essex, Page County, Iowa, home to just 1,299 residents across 220.2 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 51638 reports a modest median household income of $59,107 (23% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $36,660. Poverty here runs at 12.0%, with unemployment measured at 1.4%. On housing, the median home value is $120,700 (31% below the state average) with median rent at $606 per month, and 81.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50.5, and the average commute is 26 minutes. To put 51638 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Page County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 51638

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Essex, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 51638.

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 51638, Essex, 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

1,299

Population

220.2

Area (sq mi)

6

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 51638?

50.5

Median Age

49.6%

Male

50.4%

Female

2.6%

Foreign-Born

White 90.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%

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?

$59,107

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$36,660

Per Capita Income

12.0%

Poverty Rate

1.4%

Unemployment Rate

25.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 51638 ranks nationally

Essex, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$59,107 28th percentile higher than 28% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 56.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.9%

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

What does housing look like?

623

Total Housing Units

569

Occupied Units

54

Vacant Units

2.21

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.9%
Renter 18.1%

$120,700

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$606

Median Rent

1941

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 30 business establishments in ZIP 51638, employing approximately 89 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,730,000.

30

Businesses

89

Employees

$2.7M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 8 26.7%
Transportation and warehousing 4 13.3%
Retail trade 3 10.0%
Finance and insurance 3 10.0%

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 51638 vs 51601 →

ZIP 51638 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 51638 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 51638 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 51638 ranks #3 of 3 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
51601 Shenandoah, IA 6,025 9.0 mi
51656 Yorktown, IA 71 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Page County

51632 standard
Clarinda, IA
Pop: 7,297
51601 standard
Shenandoah, IA
Pop: 6,025
50864 standard
Villisca, IA
Pop: 2,057
51636 standard
Coin, IA
Pop: 405
51631 standard
Braddyville, IA
Pop: 306
51637 standard
College Springs, IA
Pop: 214

Related Areas

Page County Essex, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 51638 in? ▼
ZIP code 51638 (Essex) is located in Page County, Iowa. Page County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/page-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 51638? ▼
ZIP code 51638 in Essex, IA has a population of 1,299 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 51638? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 51638 is $59,107, which is 23% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 51638? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 51638 is $120,700, which is 57% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 51638? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 51638 is White at 90.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 51638? ▼
ZIP code 51638 has 30 business establishments employing approximately 89 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 51638? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 51638 are: Other services (except public administration) (8), Transportation and warehousing (4), Retail trade (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 51638? ▼
In ZIP code 51638, 56.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.9% 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 51638? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 51638 is 25.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 51638? ▼
In ZIP code 51638, approximately 81.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51638? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 51638 is 12.0% 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.