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 Low-density area
- $80,385
- Median income Near-median income area
- $145,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 22.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,829. The poverty rate is 11.8%, with unemployment at 2.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $145,700 (17% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $643; owner occupancy is 80.2%.
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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Louisa County, so 52738 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 52738
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbus Junction, IA
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 + 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
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 ZIP avg
$33,829
Per Capita Income
11.8%
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Unemployment Rate
27.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 52738 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Columbus Junction, 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)
$80,385 Top 36% higher than 64% 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
1,343housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 52738, 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 (3,567 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 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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 52738's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52738 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Columbus Junction, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.