Columbus Junction, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52738
Louisa County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,567
- 11/sq mi
- $80,385
- Median income
- $145,700
- Median home value
- 22.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Columbus Junction pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 38%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 24th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 80%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52738 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52738 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 318.5 square miles in Columbus Junction, Louisa County, Iowa. The area is home to 3,567 residents, producing a population density of 11 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 52738 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 52738 sits at $80,385 (5% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $33,829. The poverty rate stands at 11.8% and the unemployment rate at 2.8%. On housing, the median home value is $145,700 (17% below the state average) with median rent at $643 per month, and 80.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 52738 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.6, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Louisa County, so you can benchmark 52738 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 52738
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 52738.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
11 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
10 establishments
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
7 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
6 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 52738, Columbus Junction, IA · 2023 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
3,567
Population
318.5
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52738?
36.6
Median Age
50.9%
Male
49.1%
Female
22.2%
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?
$80,385
Median Household Income
+5% vs state
$33,829
Per Capita Income
11.8%
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Unemployment Rate
27.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 52738 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$80,385 Top 38% higher than 62% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,343
Total Housing Units
1,160
Occupied Units
183
Vacant Units
2.90
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$145,700
Median Home Value
-17% vs state
$643
Median Rent
1967
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 71 business establishments in ZIP 52738, employing approximately 1,908 people with a combined annual payroll of $100,645,000.
71
Businesses
1,908
Employees
$100.6M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 11 | 15.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 10 | 14.1% |
| Construction | 7 | 9.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 7 | 9.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 8.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 7.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 5.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4 | 5.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 4.2% |
| Information | 3 | 4.2% |
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 52738 vs 52737 →
ZIP 52738 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52738
Columbus Junction (52738)
3,567 residents
- 52659
Winfield (52659)
1,553 residents
- 52754 1,274
Letts (52754)
1,274 residents
- 52739 745
Conesville (52739)
745 residents
- 52737 384
Columbus City (52737)
384 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52738 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52738 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52754
Letts (52754)
$104,250 median income
- 52737
Columbus City (52737)
$89,875 median income
- 52738
Columbus Junction (52738)
$80,385 median income
- 52739
Conesville (52739)
$74,375 median income
- 52659
Winfield (52659)
$55,125 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52738 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Louisa County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52738 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 52738? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 52738? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 52738? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52738? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52738? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 52738? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 52738? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 52738? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 52738? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Columbus Junction, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.