Fayette, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52142
Fayette County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,871
- 10/sq mi Low-density area
- $56,875
- Median income Below-median income area
- $162,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 30.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fayette pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 24th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 31st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 10
- people per sq mi
- 66%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52142 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52142 covers 189.0 square miles in Fayette, Fayette County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,871 residents on file, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52142 reports a modest median household income of $56,875 (26% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,281. The poverty rate is 20.8%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Median home value is $162,500 (7% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $1,319; 65.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 30.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.9, and the average commute is 17 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Fayette County, so 52142 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 52142
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fayette, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 52142.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
6 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
5 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
3 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
3 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 52142, Fayette, 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
1,871
Population
189.0
Area (sq mi)
10
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52142?
30.9
Median Age
57.1%
Male
42.9%
Female
7.4%
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?
$56,875
Median Household Income
-26% vs state ZIP avg
$29,281
Per Capita Income
20.8%
Poverty Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
16.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 52142 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Fayette, 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)
$56,875 12th percentile higher than 12% 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
721housing units
721
Total Housing Units
651
Occupied Units
70
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$162,500
Median Home Value
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$1,319
Median Rent
1951
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 36 business establishments in ZIP 52142, employing approximately 861 people with a combined annual payroll of $22,013,000.
36
Businesses
861
Employees
$22.0M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 19.4% |
| Retail trade | 6 | 16.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 13.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 8.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 8.3% |
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 52142 vs 52164 →
ZIP 52142 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50662
Oelwein (50662)
7,238 residents
- 52142 1,871
Fayette (52142)
1,871 residents
- 50606 885
Arlington (50606)
885 residents
- 50655 873
Maynard (50655)
873 residents
- 52169 432
Wadena (52169)
432 residents
- 52164 212
Randalia (52164)
212 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52142 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52142 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50606
Arlington (50606)
$61,346 median income
- 50655
Maynard (50655)
$58,750 median income
- 52142
Fayette (52142)
$56,875 median income
- 52169
Wadena (52169)
$52,321 median income
- 50662
Oelwein (50662)
$48,646 median income
- 52164
Randalia (52164)
$48,375 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52142 ranks #3 of 6 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 52142, 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 (1,871 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Fayette County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52142 in?
ZIP code 52142 (Fayette) is located in Fayette County, Iowa. Fayette County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/fayette-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52142?
ZIP code 52142 in Fayette, IA has a population of 1,871 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52142?
The median household income in ZIP 52142 is $56,875, which is 25% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52142?
The median home value in ZIP 52142 is $162,500, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52142?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52142 is White at 83.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52142?
ZIP code 52142 has 36 business establishments employing approximately 861 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 52142?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 52142 are: Other services (except public administration) (7), Retail trade (6), Health care and social assistance (5). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52142?
In ZIP code 52142, 64.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 30.1% 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 52142?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 52142 is 16.9 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 52142?
In ZIP code 52142, approximately 65.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52142?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52142 is 20.8% 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 52142's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52142 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fayette, 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.