PlainZIP

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 covers 318.5 square miles in Columbus Junction, Louisa County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,567 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 52738 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $80,385 (5% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $33,829. Poverty here runs at 11.8%, with unemployment measured at 2.8%. Housing costs here run $145,700 for a typical home value (17% below the state average), with rent averaging $643 a month; 80.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.6, and the average commute is 28 minutes. To put 52738 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Louisa 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 52738

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbus Junction, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 52738.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 52738, Columbus Junction, 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

3,567

Population

318.5

Area (sq mi)

11

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 52738?

36.6

Median Age

50.9%

Male

49.1%

Female

22.2%

Foreign-Born

White 55.6%
African American 2.9%
Asian 6.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.7%
Hispanic or Latino 37.8%

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

Columbus Junction, IA 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

$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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 53.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.2%

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

Owner 80.2%
Renter 19.8%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52738 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 52738 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 52738 ranks #3 of 5 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
52737 Columbus City, IA 384 0.9 mi
52739 Conesville, IA 745 7.0 mi
52659 Winfield, IA 1,553 10.3 mi
52754 Letts, IA 1,274 8.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Louisa County

52653 standard
Wapello, IA
Pop: 3,570
52640 standard
Morning Sun, IA
Pop: 1,447
52754 standard
Letts, IA
Pop: 1,274
52752 standard
Grandview, IA
Pop: 515
52737 standard
Columbus City, IA
Pop: 384
52646 standard
Oakville, IA
Pop: 376

Related Areas

Louisa County Columbus Junction, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 52738 in? ▼
ZIP code 52738 (Columbus Junction) 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 52738? ▼
ZIP code 52738 in Columbus Junction, IA has a population of 3,567 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52738? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 52738 is $80,385, which is 5% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52738? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 52738 is $145,700, which is 48% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52738? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 52738 is White at 55.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 37.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52738? ▼
ZIP code 52738 has 71 business establishments employing approximately 1,908 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 52738? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 52738 are: Retail trade (11), Other services (except public administration) (10), Construction (7). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52738? ▼
In ZIP code 52738, 53.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.2% 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 52738? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 52738 is 27.7 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 52738? ▼
In ZIP code 52738, approximately 80.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52738? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52738 is 11.8% 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.