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
- $52,321
- Median income
- $112,900
- Median home value
- 17.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 77.1 square miles in Wadena, Fayette County, Iowa. The area is home to 432 residents, producing a population density of 6 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 52169 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 52169 sits at $52,321 (32% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $30,078. The poverty rate stands at 13.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.2%. On housing, the median home value is $112,900 (36% below the state average) with median rent at $592 per month, and 78.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 52169 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.6, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Fayette County, so you can benchmark 52169 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$30,078
Per Capita Income
13.9%
Poverty Rate
2.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52169 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$52,321 17th percentile higher than 17% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
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
$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.
More ZIP Codes in Fayette County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 52169? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Wadena, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.