PlainZIP

Douds, IA · standard

ZIP Code 52551

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

688
5/sq mi
$52,875
Median income
$97,000
Median home value
19.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Douds pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

18th pct
household income, US ZIPs
9th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52551 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 52551 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Douds, Van Buren County, Iowa, home to just 688 residents across 149.6 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 52551 reports a modest median household income of $52,875 (31% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $25,858. The poverty rate stands at 16.1% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. Housing costs here run $97,000 for a typical home value (45% below the state average), with rent averaging - a month; 76.8% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.5, and the average commute is -. To put 52551 in local context, 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Van Buren 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 52551, Douds, 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

688

Population

149.6

Area (sq mi)

5

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 52551?

48.5

Median Age

47.4%

Male

52.6%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 97.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$52,875

Median Household Income

-31% vs state

$25,858

Per Capita Income

16.1%

Poverty Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 52551 ranks nationally

Douds, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$52,875 18th percentile higher than 18% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 59.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.4%

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

What does housing look like?

418

Total Housing Units

345

Occupied Units

73

Vacant Units

2.27

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.8%
Renter 23.2%

$97,000

Median Home Value

-45% vs state

1974

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 52551, employing approximately 45 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,288,000.

16

Businesses

45

Employees

$1.3M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 4 25.0%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 3 18.8%

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 52551 vs 52588 →

ZIP 52551 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 52551 ranks #4 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 52551 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 52551 ranks #6 of 7 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
52588 Selma, IA 134 4.6 mi
52567 Libertyville, IA 615 7.4 mi
52560 Floris, IA 430 7.8 mi
52535 Birmingham, IA 888 7.9 mi
52570 Milton, IA 954 10.0 mi
52554 Eldon, IA 1,373 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Van Buren County

52565 standard
Keosauqua, IA
Pop: 2,027
52570 standard
Milton, IA
Pop: 954
52620 standard
Bonaparte, IA
Pop: 938
52535 standard
Birmingham, IA
Pop: 888
52651 standard
Stockport, IA
Pop: 646
52542 standard
Cantril, IA
Pop: 435

Related Areas

Van Buren County Douds, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 52551 in? ▼
ZIP code 52551 (Douds) is located in Van Buren County, Iowa. Van Buren County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/van-buren-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52551? ▼
ZIP code 52551 in Douds, IA has a population of 688 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52551? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 52551 is $52,875, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52551? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 52551 is $97,000, which is 65% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52551? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 52551 is White at 97.4%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52551? ▼
ZIP code 52551 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 45 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52551? ▼
In ZIP code 52551, 59.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.4% 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 52551? ▼
In ZIP code 52551, approximately 76.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52551? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52551 is 16.1% 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.