Chester, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52134
Howard County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 285
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $63,125
- Median income Near-median income area
- $208,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 17.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Chester pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 35th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 46th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52134 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52134 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chester, Howard County, Iowa, home to just 285 residents across 77.0 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52134 reports a modest median household income of $63,125 (18% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,318. Unemployment is 11.8%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $208,300 (19% above the average Iowa ZIP), while 85.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $579.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Howard County, so 52134 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 52134, Chester, 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
285
Population
77.0
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52134?
30.6
Median Age
46.6%
Male
53.4%
Female
5.4%
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?
$63,125
Median Household Income
-18% vs state ZIP avg
$30,318
Per Capita Income
11.7%
Poverty Rate
11.8%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52134 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Chester, 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)
$63,125 25th percentile higher than 25% 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
107housing units
107
Total Housing Units
94
Occupied Units
13
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$208,300
Median Home Value
+19% vs state ZIP avg
$579
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 8 business establishments in ZIP 52134, employing approximately 35 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,112,000.
8
Businesses
35
Employees
$1.1M
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 52134 vs 55951 →
ZIP 52134 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50466
Riceville (50466)
1,828 residents
- 55951
Le Roy (55951)
1,567 residents
- 52155
Lime Springs (52155)
1,323 residents
- 55961 447
Ostrander (55961)
447 residents
- 52134 285
Chester (52134)
285 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52134 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52134 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55961
Ostrander (55961)
$98,214 median income
- 52134
Chester (52134)
$63,125 median income
- 55951
Le Roy (55951)
$61,131 median income
- 52155
Lime Springs (52155)
$57,917 median income
- 50466
Riceville (50466)
$56,728 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52134 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 52134, 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 Howard County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52134 in?
ZIP code 52134 (Chester) is located in Howard County, Iowa. Howard County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/howard-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52134?
ZIP code 52134 in Chester, IA has a population of 285 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52134?
The median household income in ZIP 52134 is $63,125, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52134?
The median home value in ZIP 52134 is $208,300, which is 25% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52134?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52134 is White at 90.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52134?
ZIP code 52134 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 35 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52134?
In ZIP code 52134, 57.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.3% 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 52134?
In ZIP code 52134, approximately 85.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52134?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52134 is 11.7% 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 52134's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52134 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chester, 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.