Beacon, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52534
Mahaska County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 284
- 281/sq mi High-density area
- $57,986
- Median income Below-median income area
- $75,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 9.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Beacon pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 26th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 4th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 281
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52534 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52534 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Beacon, Mahaska County, Iowa, home to just 284 residents across 1.0 square miles, a density of 281 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52534 reports a modest median household income of $57,986 (24% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,901. The poverty rate is 17.4%, with unemployment at 1.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $75,700 (57% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $593; owner occupancy is 85.0%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 9.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Mahaska County, so 52534 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 52534, Beacon, 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
284
Population
1.0
Area (sq mi)
281
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52534?
53.2
Median Age
49.2%
Male
50.8%
Female
1.6%
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?
$57,986
Median Household Income
-24% vs state ZIP avg
$41,901
Per Capita Income
17.4%
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52534 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Beacon, 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)
$57,986 14th percentile higher than 14% 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
159housing units
159
Total Housing Units
153
Occupied Units
6
Vacant Units
2.10
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$75,700
Median Home Value
-57% vs state ZIP avg
$593
Median Rent
1978
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 5 business establishments in ZIP 52534, employing approximately 32 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,268,000.
5
Businesses
32
Employees
$2.3M
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 52534 vs 52577 →
ZIP 52534 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52577
Oskaloosa (52577)
15,055 residents
- 52553 1,745
Eddyville (52553)
1,745 residents
- 50143 600
Leighton (50143)
600 residents
- 52595 416
University Park (52595)
416 residents
- 52534 284
Beacon (52534)
284 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52534 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52534 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50143
Leighton (50143)
$86,023 median income
- 52595
University Park (52595)
$66,667 median income
- 52577
Oskaloosa (52577)
$66,084 median income
- 52553
Eddyville (52553)
$64,583 median income
- 52534
Beacon (52534)
$57,986 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52534 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 52534, 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 Mahaska County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52534 in?
ZIP code 52534 (Beacon) is located in Mahaska County, Iowa. Mahaska County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mahaska-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52534?
ZIP code 52534 in Beacon, IA has a population of 284 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52534?
The median household income in ZIP 52534 is $57,986, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52534?
The median home value in ZIP 52534 is $75,700, which is 73% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52534?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52534 is White at 91.0%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52534?
ZIP code 52534 has 5 business establishments employing approximately 32 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52534?
In ZIP code 52534, 53.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 9.2% 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 52534?
In ZIP code 52534, approximately 85.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52534?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52534 is 17.4% 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 52534's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52534 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Beacon, 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.