Wadena, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52169
Fayette County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 432
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $52,321
- Median income Below-median income area
- $112,900
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 17.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Wadena pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 17th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 14th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52169 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52169 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Wadena, Fayette County, Iowa, home to just 432 residents across 77.1 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52169 reports a modest median household income of $52,321 (32% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,078. The poverty rate is 13.9%, with unemployment at 2.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $112,900 (36% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $592; owner occupancy is 78.2%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Fayette County, so 52169 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 52169, Wadena, 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
432
Population
77.1
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52169?
53.6
Median Age
57.2%
Male
42.8%
Female
0.3%
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?
$52,321
Median Household Income
-32% vs state ZIP avg
$30,078
Per Capita Income
13.9%
Poverty Rate
2.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52169 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Wadena, 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)
$52,321 7th percentile higher than 7% 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
226housing units
226
Total Housing Units
170
Occupied Units
56
Vacant Units
2.16
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$112,900
Median Home Value
-36% vs state ZIP avg
$592
Median Rent
1963
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 52169, employing approximately 16 people with a combined annual payroll of $479,000.
8
Businesses
16
Employees
$479K
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 52169 vs 52141 →
ZIP 52169 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52142
Fayette (52142)
1,871 residents
- 52141
Elgin (52141)
1,435 residents
- 50606
Arlington (50606)
885 residents
- 52169 432
Wadena (52169)
432 residents
- 52077 398
Volga (52077)
398 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52169 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52169 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52077
Volga (52077)
$77,188 median income
- 52141
Elgin (52141)
$64,647 median income
- 50606
Arlington (50606)
$61,346 median income
- 52142
Fayette (52142)
$56,875 median income
- 52169
Wadena (52169)
$52,321 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52169 ranks #5 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 52169, 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 Fayette County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52169 in?
ZIP code 52169 (Wadena) 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 52169?
ZIP code 52169 in Wadena, IA has a population of 432 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52169?
The median household income in ZIP 52169 is $52,321, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52169?
The median home value in ZIP 52169 is $112,900, which is 59% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52169?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52169 is White at 86.9%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52169?
ZIP code 52169 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 16 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52169?
In ZIP code 52169, 59.0% 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 52169?
In ZIP code 52169, approximately 78.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52169?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52169 is 13.9% 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 52169's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52169 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wadena, 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.