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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 221.8 square miles in Chelsea, Tama County, Iowa. The area is home to 843 residents, producing a population density of 4 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 52215 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 52215 sits at $61,932 (19% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $32,129. The poverty rate stands at 12.8% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $166,800 (5% below the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 98.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 52215 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 7.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.7, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Tama County, so you can benchmark 52215 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 52215, Chelsea, 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
843
Population
221.8
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52215?
35.7
Median Age
52.9%
Male
47.1%
Female
8.9%
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?
$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
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
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?
440
Total Housing Units
367
Occupied Units
73
Vacant Units
2.62
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 52208
Belle Plaine (52208)
3,153 residents
- 52211
Brooklyn (52211)
2,624 residents
- 52215 843
Chelsea (52215)
843 residents
- 52225 447
Elberon (52225)
447 residents
- 52232 178
Hartwick (52232)
178 residents
- 52348 51
Vining (52348)
51 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52215 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52215 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52232
Hartwick (52232)
$99,391 median income
- 52208
Belle Plaine (52208)
$74,127 median income
- 52211
Brooklyn (52211)
$73,922 median income
- 52348
Vining (52348)
$72,500 median income
- 52225
Elberon (52225)
$61,944 median income
- 52215
Chelsea (52215)
$61,932 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.
More ZIP Codes in Tama County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52215 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 52215? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 52215? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 52215? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52215? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52215? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 52215? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 52215? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Chelsea, 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.