Wapello, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52653
Louisa County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,570
- 12/sq mi Low-density area
- $83,525
- Median income Above-median income area
- $161,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 16.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Wapello pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 34%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 30th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 12
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52653 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52653 covers 292.6 square miles in Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,570 residents on file, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52653 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $83,525 (9% above the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $38,658. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 4.5% and unemployment is 2.1%. Median home value is $161,000 (8% below the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $729; 73.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.7, and the average commute is 28 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Louisa County, so 52653 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 52653
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wapello, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 52653.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
11 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
9 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
8 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
8 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 52653, Wapello, 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
3,570
Population
292.6
Area (sq mi)
12
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52653?
48.7
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
3.5%
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?
$83,525
Median Household Income
+9% vs state ZIP avg
$38,658
Per Capita Income
4.5%
Poverty Rate
2.1%
Unemployment Rate
27.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 52653 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Wapello, 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)
$83,525 Top 31% higher than 69% 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
1,595housing units
1,595
Total Housing Units
1,421
Occupied Units
174
Vacant Units
2.14
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$161,000
Median Home Value
-8% vs state ZIP avg
$729
Median Rent
1968
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 76 business establishments in ZIP 52653, employing approximately 651 people with a combined annual payroll of $24,143,000.
76
Businesses
651
Employees
$24.1M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11 | 14.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9 | 11.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 10.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 10.5% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 9.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 7.9% |
| Construction | 5 | 6.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 6.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 5.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 4.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 4.0% |
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 52653 vs 52752 →
ZIP 52653 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52653
Wapello (52653)
3,570 residents
- 52637
Mediapolis (52637)
2,449 residents
- 52640
Morning Sun (52640)
1,447 residents
- 52752 515
Grandview (52752)
515 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52653 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52653 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52653
Wapello (52653)
$83,525 median income
- 52637
Mediapolis (52637)
$81,477 median income
- 52640
Morning Sun (52640)
$67,813 median income
- 52752
Grandview (52752)
$49,545 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52653 ranks the highest of 4 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 52653, 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 (3,570 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Louisa County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52653 in?
ZIP code 52653 (Wapello) is located in Louisa County, Iowa. Louisa County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/louisa-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52653?
ZIP code 52653 in Wapello, IA has a population of 3,570 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52653?
The median household income in ZIP 52653 is $83,525, which is 9% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52653?
The median home value in ZIP 52653 is $161,000, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52653?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52653 is White at 90.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52653?
ZIP code 52653 has 76 business establishments employing approximately 651 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 52653?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 52653 are: Health care and social assistance (11), Other services (except public administration) (9), Manufacturing (8). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52653?
In ZIP code 52653, 52.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 52653?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 52653 is 27.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 52653?
In ZIP code 52653, approximately 73.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52653?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52653 is 4.5% 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 52653's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52653 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wapello, 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.