PlainZIP

Chelsea, IA · standard

ZIP Code 52215

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

843
4/sq mi
$61,932
Median income
$166,800
Median home value
7.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chelsea pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

33th pct
household income, US ZIPs
33th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4
people per sq mi
99%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52215 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 52215 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chelsea, Tama County, Iowa, home to just 843 residents across 221.8 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 52215 reports a modest median household income of $61,932 (19% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $32,129. 12.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.6%. Median home value sits at $166,800 (5% below the state average), median rent at - a month, and owner-occupancy at 98.9%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 7.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.7, and the average commute is -. To put 52215 in local context, 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Tama 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 →

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 52215, Chelsea, 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

843

Population

221.8

Area (sq mi)

4

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 52215?

35.7

Median Age

52.9%

Male

47.1%

Female

8.9%

Foreign-Born

White 77.1%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 19.3%
Hispanic or Latino 20.2%

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?

$61,932

Median Household Income

-19% vs state

$32,129

Per Capita Income

12.8%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 52215 ranks nationally

Chelsea, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$61,932 33rd percentile higher than 33% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 58.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 7.4%

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

What does housing look like?

440

Total Housing Units

367

Occupied Units

73

Vacant Units

2.62

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 98.9%
Renter 1.1%

$166,800

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

1942

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 6 business establishments in ZIP 52215, employing approximately 24 people with a combined annual payroll of $691,000.

6

Businesses

24

Employees

$691K

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 52215 vs 52348 →

ZIP 52215 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 52215 ranks #3 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 52215 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 52215 ranks #6 of 6 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
52348 Vining, IA 51 5.7 mi
52208 Belle Plaine, IA 3,153 7.3 mi
52232 Hartwick, IA 178 7.9 mi
52225 Elberon, IA 447 7.9 mi
52211 Brooklyn, IA 2,624 10.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Tama County

52339 standard
Tama, IA
Pop: 4,504
52342 standard
Toledo, IA
Pop: 3,274
50675 standard
Traer, IA
Pop: 2,456
52224 standard
Dysart, IA
Pop: 2,016
50635 standard
Gladbrook, IA
Pop: 1,602
50632 standard
Garwin, IA
Pop: 1,107

Related Areas

Tama County Chelsea, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 52215 in? ▼
ZIP code 52215 (Chelsea) is located in Tama County, Iowa. Tama County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/tama-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52215? ▼
ZIP code 52215 in Chelsea, IA has a population of 843 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52215? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 52215 is $61,932, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52215? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 52215 is $166,800, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52215? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 52215 is White at 77.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 20.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52215? ▼
ZIP code 52215 has 6 business establishments employing approximately 24 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52215? ▼
In ZIP code 52215, 58.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 7.4% 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 52215? ▼
In ZIP code 52215, approximately 98.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 1.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52215? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52215 is 12.8% 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.