51521 ZIP Code — Avoca, IA

Pottawattamie County, Iowa

ZIP code 51521 is located in Avoca, Iowa, within Pottawattamie County. It covers approximately 87.41 square miles and serves a population of 1,857 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51521

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $174,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,324. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 51521 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,857

population

87.41

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Avoca	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51570 Shelby (6.2 mi) 51536 Hancock (7.1 mi) 51577 Walnut (8.8 mi) 51553 Minden (9.9 mi) 51560 Oakland (11.4 mi) 51537 Harlan (12.2 mi) 51563 Persia (12.7 mi) 51552 Marne (14.1 mi) 51565 Portsmouth (14.2 mi) 51559 Neola (15 mi) 51531 Elk Horn (16.9 mi) 51525 Carson (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,857
Population density	21 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	155

Geography
Land area	87.41 sq mi
Water area	0.48 sq mi
Latitude	41.4786
Longitude	-95.3795
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	712

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.9%	41.8%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	29.9%	33.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	19.5%	20.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	3.8%	3.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,857

Population

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$68,324

Median household income

$39,906

Per capita income

$174,500

Median home value

$804

Median monthly rent

77.3%

Home ownership

9.8%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

730

Housing units

26.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

104

35–44

105

45–54

114

55–59

60–64

133

65–74

156

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	427	23.0%
18 and over	1,430	77.0%
65 and over	464	25.0%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.4%

Two or more races 2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.3%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,805	96.4%
Two or more races	37	2%
Hispanic or Latino	16	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.3%
Other race	6	0.3%
Asian	3	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.9%	41.8%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	29.9%	33.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	19.5%	20.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	3.8%	3.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 1.8%

$15k–$25k 15.1%

$25k–$35k 6.3%

$35k–$50k 6.7%

$50k–$75k 23.4%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 19.9%

$150k–$200k 6.9%

$200k+ 5.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	1.8%
$15k–$25k	15.1%
$25k–$35k	6.3%
$35k–$50k	6.7%
$50k–$75k	23.4%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	19.9%
$150k–$200k	6.9%
$200k+	5.0%
Median income	$68,324

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 16.4%

$100k–$150k 17.2%

$150k–$200k 18.8%

$200k–$300k 28.0%

$300k–$500k 10.3%

$500k–$1M 1.2%

$1M+ 2.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$174,500
Median rent / month	$804
Owner occupied	77.3%
Renter occupied	22.7%
Vacant	8.4%
Single-family detached	91.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.27

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	9.1%
2000–2009	6.7%
1990–1999	4.7%
1980–1989	4.9%
1970–1979	10.7%
1960–1969	10.0%
1950–1959	5.3%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	45.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	7.7%
2 bedrooms	24.9%
3 bedrooms	45.9%
4 bedrooms	16.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.4%
1 vehicle	26.3%
2 vehicles	48.8%
3 or more	20.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	59.4%
Electricity	24.9%
Propane / LP gas	13.5%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	418	49.5%
Cohabiting couple	81	9.6%
Male householder, no spouse	111	13.1%
Female householder, no spouse	235	27.8%
Households with children under 18	199	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	331	39.2%
Average household size	2.19

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.5%	22.8%
Married	60.5%	53.0%
Separated	0.0%	1.5%
Widowed	5.3%	11.4%
Divorced	8.8%	11.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.3%

HS graduate 30.3%

Some college, no degree 25.2%

Associate's degree 12.8%

Bachelor's degree 17.9%

Graduate / professional 9.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.3%
Bachelor's or higher	26.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	26	7.8%
Kindergarten	11	3.3%
Elementary school	176	52.5%
High school	83	24.8%
College / grad school	39	11.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.5%

Manufacturing 12.4%

Retail trade 11.3%

Transportation & utilities 10.6%

Finance & real estate 8.2%

Professional & management 8.1%

Construction 7.2%

Agriculture & mining 5.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.1%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Public administration 1.8%

Information 1.7%

Other services 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	48.1%
Service	5.8%
Sales & office	19.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.2%
Production & transportation	15.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.2%
Government	12.9%
Self-employed	8.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.7%
Carpool	5.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.0

Poverty

All people 9.8%

Under 18 years 14.5%

18 and over 8.4%

Married-couple families 1.2%

Female-led households 50.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.6%
Retirement income	24.6%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	1.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.0%
High blood pressure	36.3%
High cholesterol	35.8%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	29.0%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.4%
Binge drinking	20.7%
No physical activity	26.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	13.5%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	8.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	64.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.1%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	173	12.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	6.3%
18–64 years	10.2%
65 and over	43.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.7%
Public insurance	41.1%
No insurance	2.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,712	92.2%
Spanish	5	0.3%
Other Indo-European	5	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,854	99.8%
Born in same state	1,854	99.8%
Born in different state	1,262	68.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	3	0.2%
Not a US citizen	3	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	268	14.4%
Dutch	254	13.7%
French	132	7.1%
Arab	62	3.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	28	1.5%
English	22	1.2%
Irish	3	0.2%
German	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.5%
Internet access	88.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51521

What city is ZIP code 51521 in?

ZIP code 51521 is primarily assigned to Avoca, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51521 in?

ZIP code 51521 falls within Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51521 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 51521 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 51521 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 51521 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51521?

The median home value in ZIP code 51521 is $174,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 51521?

ZIP code 51521 has an estimated population of 1,857 residents, with a density of 21 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 51521 in?

ZIP code 51521 observes the CST timezone.