52540 ZIP Code — Brighton, IA

Washington County, Iowa

ZIP code 52540 is located in Brighton, Iowa, within Washington County. It covers approximately 96.10 square miles and serves a population of 1,230 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 319.

About ZIP code 52540

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 $97,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $56,908. 35% 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. An above-average commute of 35 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 52540 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,230

population

96.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

52540 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 52540

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 52540. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Brighton	Acceptable
Brighton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

52654 Wayland (7.8 mi) 52585 Richland (8.9 mi) 52353 Washington (10.6 mi) 52556 Fairfield (10.6 mi) 52557 Fairfield (12.1 mi) 52635 Lockridge (12.2 mi) 52580 Packwood (14.1 mi) 52248 Keota (14.6 mi) 52641 Mount Pleasant (15.2 mi) 52576 Ollie (15.7 mi) 52621 Crawfordsville (16.2 mi) 52201 Ainsworth (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,230
Population density	13 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	183

Geography
Land area	96.10 sq mi
Water area	1.75 sq mi
Latitude	41.1592
Longitude	-91.8213
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	319

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.3%	39.1%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	38.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	11.1%	19.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.1%	3.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,230

Population

People per sq mi

47.7

Median age

$56,908

Median household income

$34,216

Per capita income

$97,900

Median home value

$742

Median monthly rent

74.6%

Home ownership

16.7%

Poverty rate

7.6%

Unemployment

425

Housing units

18.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

112

45–54

119

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	301	24.5%
18 and over	929	75.5%
65 and over	238	19.3%
Median age	47.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.9%

Two or more races 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,183	94.9%
Two or more races	41	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	16	1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.3%
Other race	2	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.3%	39.1%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	38.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	11.1%	19.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.1%	3.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 6.6%

$10k–$15k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 11.1%

$25k–$35k 7.8%

$35k–$50k 14.1%

$50k–$75k 21.1%

$75k–$100k 8.5%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k+ 5.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.6%
$10k–$15k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	11.1%
$25k–$35k	7.8%
$35k–$50k	14.1%
$50k–$75k	21.1%
$75k–$100k	8.5%
$100k–$150k	19.1%
$150k–$200k	3.2%
$200k+	5.4%
Median income	$56,908

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 16.8%

$50k–$100k 35.2%

$100k–$150k 14.7%

$150k–$200k 8.3%

$200k–$300k 11.2%

$300k–$500k 13.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$97,900
Median rent / month	$742
Owner occupied	74.6%
Renter occupied	25.4%
Vacant	9.0%
Single-family detached	86.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	7.2%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.6%
2000–2009	6.1%
1990–1999	6.0%
1980–1989	2.9%
1970–1979	13.0%
1960–1969	7.6%
1950–1959	2.5%
1940–1949	9.9%
1939 or earlier	48.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	2.0%
2 bedrooms	35.1%
3 bedrooms	36.9%
4 bedrooms	21.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.8%
1 vehicle	19.5%
2 vehicles	32.4%
3 or more	41.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	42.9%
Electricity	23.3%
Propane / LP gas	22.9%
Fuel oil	1.8%
Wood	9.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	272	54.1%
Cohabiting couple	32	6.4%
Male householder, no spouse	106	21.1%
Female householder, no spouse	93	18.5%
Households with children under 18	138	27.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	175	34.8%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	17.1%	11.3%
Married	57.7%	63.1%
Separated	2.8%	2.9%
Widowed	8.3%	11.3%
Divorced	14.2%	11.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 14.6%

HS graduate 32.1%

Some college, no degree 18.8%

Associate's degree 14.2%

Bachelor's degree 15.8%

Graduate / professional 2.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.2%
Bachelor's or higher	18.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	24	10.9%
Kindergarten	20	9.0%
Elementary school	114	51.6%
High school	44	19.9%
College / grad school	19	8.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.9%

Manufacturing 14.1%

Finance & real estate 12.3%

Retail trade 11.6%

Transportation & utilities 7.2%

Public administration 6.2%

Professional & management 5.9%

Construction 5.0%

Agriculture & mining 4.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.7%

Wholesale trade 3.1%

Other services 2.6%

Information 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	45.1%
Service	10.3%
Sales & office	10.3%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	25.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.5%
Government	13.2%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.5%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	35.2

Poverty

All people 16.7%

Under 18 years 17.8%

18 and over 16.4%

Married-couple families 7.7%

Female-led households 43.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.4%
Retirement income	24.1%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	4.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.0%
High blood pressure	33.2%
High cholesterol	32.8%
Diabetes	9.8%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	24.6%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.9%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.8%
Binge drinking	21.5%
No physical activity	23.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.5%
Depression	17.6%
Fair or poor health	12.7%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	9.7%
No health insurance	9.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.0%
Visited dentist	67.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	12.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	81	8.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.9%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	50.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.7%
Public insurance	44.3%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,113	90.5%
Spanish	3	0.3%
Other Indo-European	3	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,222	99.3%
Born in same state	1,222	99.3%
Born in different state	1,040	84.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	8	0.7%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	288	23.4%
French	70	5.7%
Arab	24	2%
English	12	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	11	0.9%
German	8	0.7%
Irish	3	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	88.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 52540

What city is ZIP code 52540 in?

ZIP code 52540 is primarily assigned to Brighton, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 52540 in?

ZIP code 52540 falls within Washington County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52540?

17% of residents in ZIP code 52540 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 52540?

The median home value in ZIP code 52540 is $97,900.

Does ZIP code 52540 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 52540 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 52540?

ZIP code 52540 has an estimated population of 1,230 residents, with a density of 13 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 52540 in?

ZIP code 52540 observes the CST timezone.