Fairfield, IA · standard

ZIP Code 52556

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 11, 2026

13,247
29/sq mi: $59,243
Median income: $166,800
Median home value: 48.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 33th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 29
people per sq mi: 64%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52556 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 52556 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 456.8 square miles in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa. The area is home to 13,247 residents, producing a population density of 29 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 52556 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 52556 sits at $59,243 (23% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $40,168. The poverty rate stands at 16.8% and the unemployment rate at 8.9%. On housing, the median home value is $166,800 (5% below the state average) with median rent at $878 per month, and 63.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 52556 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 48.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.2, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Jefferson County, so you can benchmark 52556 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 52556

Professional, scientific, and technical services

112
Retail trade

80
Other services (except public administration)

50
Health care and social assistance

44
Accommodation and food services

43

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

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 52556, Fairfield, IA · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-11 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

13,247

Population

456.8

Area (sq mi)

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 52556?

45.2

Median Age

51.5%

Male

48.5%

Female

14.7%

Foreign-Born

White 82.9%

African American 2.2%

Asian 9.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native 1.1%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

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?

$59,243

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$40,168

Per Capita Income

16.8%

Poverty Rate

8.9%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 52556 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$59,243 28th percentile higher than 28% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 68.5%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 48.0%

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

What does housing look like?

6,044

Total Housing Units

5,377

Occupied Units

667

Vacant Units

2.06

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 63.6%

Renter 36.4%

$166,800

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

$878

Median Rent

1968

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

+14.5%

YoY Change (2024)

217

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+117%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 52556 have increased 14.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +117% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	-1.2%	156
2021	+11.5%	174
2022	+9.1%	190
2023	-0.3%	190
2024	+14.5%	217

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 552 business establishments in ZIP 52556, employing approximately 5,563 people with a combined annual payroll of $298,087,000.

552

Businesses

5,563

Employees

$298.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services	112	20.3%
Retail trade	80	14.5%
Other services (except public administration)	50	9.1%
Health care and social assistance	44	8.0%
Accommodation and food services	43	7.8%
Finance and insurance	40	7.3%
Construction	36	6.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	27	4.9%
Manufacturing	24	4.3%
Wholesale trade	24	4.3%
Information	15	2.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing	15	2.7%
Educational services	14	2.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	11	2.0%
Transportation and warehousing	8	1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises	4	0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	3	0.5%

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 52556 vs 52557 →

52556

13,247
52540

1,420
52567

615
52557

85

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52556 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

52567

$81,985
52556

$59,243
52540

$55,000

What this shows By household income, ZIP 52556 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
52557	Fairfield, IA	85	1.9 mi
52567	Libertyville, IA	615	9.9 mi
52540	Brighton, IA	1,420	11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Jefferson County

Jefferson County Fairfield, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 52556 in? ▼

ZIP code 52556 (Fairfield) is located in Jefferson County, Iowa. Jefferson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jefferson-ia.

What is the population of ZIP code 52556? ▼

ZIP code 52556 in Fairfield, IA has a population of 13,247 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 52556? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 52556 is $59,243, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 52556? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 52556 is $166,800, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52556? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 52556 is White at 82.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 52556? ▼

ZIP code 52556 has 552 business establishments employing approximately 5,563 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 52556? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 52556 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (112), Retail trade (80), Other services (except public administration) (50). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 52556? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 52556 increased by 14.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 117%. 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 52556? ▼

In ZIP code 52556, 68.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 48.0% 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 52556? ▼

In ZIP code 52556, approximately 63.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52556? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 52556 is 16.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.