Lowden, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52255
Cedar County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,208
- 11/sq mi Low-density area
- $71,250
- Median income Near-median income area
- $156,400
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 21.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lowden pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 49th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 28th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52255 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52255 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lowden, Cedar County, Iowa, home to just 1,208 residents across 112.9 square miles, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52255 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,250 (7% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,486. The poverty rate is 9.6%, with unemployment at 4.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $156,400 (11% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $864; 81.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cedar County, so 52255 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 52255, Lowden, 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
1,208
Population
112.9
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52255?
40.5
Median Age
51.0%
Male
49.0%
Female
0.0%
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?
$71,250
Median Household Income
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$42,486
Per Capita Income
9.6%
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52255 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Lowden, 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)
$71,250 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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
562housing units
562
Total Housing Units
509
Occupied Units
53
Vacant Units
1.93
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$156,400
Median Home Value
-11% vs state ZIP avg
$864
Median Rent
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
-5.1%
YoY Change (2024)
140
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+40%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 52255 have decreased 5.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +40% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +27.6% | 161 |
| 2020 | -15.2% | 137 |
| 2021 | +7.9% | 147 |
| 2022 | -5.1% | 140 |
| 2024 | – | 140 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 24 business establishments in ZIP 52255, employing approximately 113 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,679,000.
24
Businesses
113
Employees
$6.7M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 5 | 20.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 16.7% |
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 52255 vs 52216 →
ZIP 52255 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52216
Clarence (52216)
1,428 residents
- 52777
Wheatland (52777)
1,357 residents
- 52255
Lowden (52255)
1,208 residents
- 52323
Oxford Junction (52323)
867 residents
- 52721
Bennett (52721)
798 residents
- 52765 453
New Liberty (52765)
453 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52255 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52255 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52765
New Liberty (52765)
$107,321 median income
- 52721
Bennett (52721)
$82,143 median income
- 52255
Lowden (52255)
$71,250 median income
- 52216
Clarence (52216)
$67,857 median income
- 52777
Wheatland (52777)
$60,250 median income
- 52323 $41,425
Oxford Junction (52323)
$41,425 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52255 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 52255, 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 (1,208 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Cedar County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52255 in?
ZIP code 52255 (Lowden) is located in Cedar County, Iowa. Cedar County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cedar-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52255?
ZIP code 52255 in Lowden, IA has a population of 1,208 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52255?
The median household income in ZIP 52255 is $71,250, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52255?
The median home value in ZIP 52255 is $156,400, which is 44% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52255?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52255 is White at 95.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52255?
ZIP code 52255 has 24 business establishments employing approximately 113 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 52255?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 52255 decreased by 5.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 40%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52255?
In ZIP code 52255, 66.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.0% 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 52255?
In ZIP code 52255, approximately 81.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52255?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52255 is 9.6% 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 52255's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52255 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lowden, 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.