Mount Sterling, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52573
Van Buren County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 162
- 2/sq mi Low-density area
- $35,179
- Median income Below-median income area
- $258,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 15.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Mount Sterling pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 41%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52573 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52573 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Mount Sterling, Van Buren County, Iowa, home to just 162 residents across 73.6 square miles, a density of 2 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52573 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $35,179 (54% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $20,440. The poverty rate is 40.5%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $258,300 (47% above the average Iowa ZIP), while 88.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Van Buren County, so 52573 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 52573, Mount Sterling, 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
162
Population
73.6
Area (sq mi)
2
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52573?
59.0
Median Age
39.2%
Male
60.8%
Female
4.7%
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?
$35,179
Median Household Income
-54% vs state ZIP avg
$20,440
Per Capita Income
40.5%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52573 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Mount Sterling, 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)
$35,179 1st percentile higher than 1% 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
104housing units
104
Total Housing Units
60
Occupied Units
44
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$258,300
Median Home Value
+47% vs state ZIP avg
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 7 business establishments in ZIP 52573, employing approximately 7 people with a combined annual payroll of $147,000.
7
Businesses
7
Employees
$147K
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 52573 vs 52565 →
ZIP 52573 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52565
Keosauqua (52565)
2,027 residents
- 52620
Bonaparte (52620)
938 residents
- 63453 519
Luray (63453)
519 residents
- 63432 513
Arbela (63432)
513 residents
- 52542 435
Cantril (52542)
435 residents
- 52573 162
Mount Sterling (52573)
162 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52573 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52573 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52620
Bonaparte (52620)
$79,327 median income
- 63453
Luray (63453)
$74,028 median income
- 52542
Cantril (52542)
$65,000 median income
- 52565
Keosauqua (52565)
$62,992 median income
- 63432
Arbela (63432)
$60,481 median income
- 52573
Mount Sterling (52573)
$35,179 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52573 ranks #6 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 52573, 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 Van Buren County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52573 in?
ZIP code 52573 (Mount Sterling) 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 52573?
ZIP code 52573 in Mount Sterling, IA has a population of 162 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52573?
The median household income in ZIP 52573 is $35,179, which is 54% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52573?
The median home value in ZIP 52573 is $258,300, which is 7% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52573?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52573 is White at 100.0%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52573?
ZIP code 52573 has 7 business establishments employing approximately 7 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52573?
In ZIP code 52573, 52.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.2% 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 52573?
In ZIP code 52573, approximately 88.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52573?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52573 is 40.5% 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 52573's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52573 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Mount Sterling, 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.