51012 ZIP Code — Cherokee, IA

Cherokee County, Iowa

ZIP code 51012 is located in Cherokee, Iowa, within Cherokee County. It covers approximately 147.75 square miles and serves a population of 6,518 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51012

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 $146,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $55,792. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 42% 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 16 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 51012 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,518

population

147.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51012 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51012

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51012. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cherokee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51037 Meriden (6.2 mi) 51014 Cleghorn (7.1 mi) 51005 Aurelia (7.6 mi) 51049 Quimby (7.7 mi) 51029 Larrabee (9.7 mi) 51035 Marcus (10.8 mi) 51061 Washta (13.4 mi) 51002 Alta (14.3 mi) 51046 Paullina (16.5 mi) 51025 Holstein (17.2 mi) 51058 Sutherland (17.5 mi) 51047 Peterson (18 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,518
Population density	44 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	035

Geography
Land area	147.75 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	42.7368
Longitude	-95.5841
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	48.8%	44.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	32.9%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	18.9%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	3.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

6,518

Population

People per sq mi

43.2

Median age

$55,792

Median household income

$33,171

Per capita income

$146,700

Median home value

$650

Median monthly rent

68.5%

Home ownership

17.7%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

2,026

Housing units

21.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

184

Under 5

181

202

5–9

198

285

10–14

279

193

15–19

190

166

20–24

162

328

25–34

322

415

35–44

406

344

45–54

337

185

55–59

181

251

60–64

246

395

65–74

387

227

75–84

222

117

85+

115

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,616	24.8%
18 and over	4,902	75.2%
65 and over	1,463	22.4%
Median age	43.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.9%

Two or more races 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.6%

Other race 0.7%

Black or African American 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	6,143	90.9%
Two or more races	312	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	242	3.6%
Other race	45	0.7%
Black or African American	18	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.8%	44.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	32.9%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	18.9%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	3.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 11.5%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 10.5%

$50k–$75k 20.7%

$75k–$100k 10.2%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 6.2%

$200k+ 4.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	11.5%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	10.5%
$50k–$75k	20.7%
$75k–$100k	10.2%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	6.2%
$200k+	4.4%
Median income	$55,792

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.7%

$50k–$100k 26.4%

$100k–$150k 16.7%

$150k–$200k 12.1%

$200k–$300k 23.9%

$300k–$500k 9.3%

$500k–$1M 3.4%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$146,700
Median rent / month	$650
Owner occupied	68.5%
Renter occupied	31.5%
Vacant	4.1%
Single-family detached	79.8%
Large apartment buildings	7.3%
Mobile homes	1.4%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.5%
2000–2009	2.9%
1990–1999	5.8%
1980–1989	4.0%
1970–1979	20.2%
1960–1969	19.9%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	6.4%
1939 or earlier	27.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.6%
2 bedrooms	30.8%
3 bedrooms	39.8%
4 bedrooms	15.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.0%
1 vehicle	27.6%
2 vehicles	38.5%
3 or more	23.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	64.0%
Electricity	26.8%
Propane / LP gas	7.0%
Wood	1.2%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,274	45.7%
Cohabiting couple	182	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	435	15.6%
Female householder, no spouse	896	32.1%
Households with children under 18	792	28.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	998	35.8%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.4%	25.5%
Married	55.9%	46.7%
Separated	1.0%	4.0%
Widowed	3.4%	14.3%
Divorced	12.3%	9.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.7%

HS graduate 43.0%

Some college, no degree 18.8%

Associate's degree 10.5%

Bachelor's degree 13.3%

Graduate / professional 8.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.9%
Bachelor's or higher	21.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	73	5.0%
Kindergarten	105	7.2%
Elementary school	801	55.3%
High school	335	23.1%
College / grad school	135	9.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.4%

Retail trade 20.5%

Manufacturing 11.3%

Construction 7.0%

Other services 5.8%

Public administration 5.8%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Professional & management 5.1%

Wholesale trade 4.2%

Information 4.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.4%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.9%
Service	16.6%
Sales & office	22.7%
Natural resources & construction	8.9%
Production & transportation	22.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.2%
Government	17.4%
Self-employed	11.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.2%
Carpool	11.0%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	3.3%
Work from home	9.2%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	15.7

Poverty

All people 17.7%

Under 18 years 26.1%

18 and over 14.9%

Married-couple families 3.1%

Female-led households 58.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.1%
Retirement income	29.3%
Supplemental Security	2.1%
Cash public assistance	5.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.3%
High blood pressure	39.5%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.3%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	19.5%
No physical activity	26.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	17.3%
Fair or poor health	15.0%
Poor mental health	13.1%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.4%
Visited dentist	64.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	15.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	410	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.8%
Under 18	1.2%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	28.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.5%
Public insurance	39.9%
No insurance	6.9%
Uninsured under 19	4.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,153	94.4%
Spanish	77	1.3%
Other Indo-European	72	1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,437	98.8%
Born in same state	6,422	98.5%
Born in different state	5,422	83.2%
Foreign born	15	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	81	1.2%
Not a US citizen	81	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	776	11.9%
French	409	6.3%
Arab	193	3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	161	2.5%
Dutch	117	1.8%
Polish	58	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	85.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51012

What city is ZIP code 51012 in?

ZIP code 51012 is primarily assigned to Cherokee, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51012 in?

ZIP code 51012 falls within Cherokee County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51012?

18% of residents in ZIP code 51012 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51012 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 51012 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51012?

The median home value in ZIP code 51012 is $146,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 51012?

ZIP code 51012 has an estimated population of 6,518 residents, with a density of 44 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 51012 in?

ZIP code 51012 observes the CST timezone.