52134 ZIP Code — Chester, IA

Howard County, Iowa

ZIP code 52134 is located in Chester, Iowa, within Howard County. It covers approximately 27.75 square miles and serves a population of 305 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 563/641.

About ZIP code 52134

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 $203,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 97%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $70,461. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 52134 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

305

population

27.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

52134 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 52134

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 52134. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chester	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55961 Ostrander (7.6 mi) 50466 Riceville (7.8 mi) 52155 Lime Springs (7.8 mi) 55951 Le Roy (9.3 mi) 50628 Elma (10.1 mi) 55975 Spring Valley (15 mi) 50476 Stacyville (15.9 mi) 55936 Grand Meadow (16.4 mi) 55909 Adams (16.7 mi) 52136 Cresco (17.4 mi) 55965 Preston (19.2 mi) 55939 Harmony (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	305
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	27.75 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	43.4647
Longitude	-92.4349
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	563/641

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.1%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.7%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	26.1%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

305

Population

People per sq mi

28.7

Median age

$70,461

Median household income

$30,674

Per capita income

$203,100

Median home value

Median monthly rent

96.5%

Home ownership

8.9%

Poverty rate

7.6%

Unemployment

147

Housing units

7.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	61	20.0%
18 and over	244	80.0%
65 and over	50	16.4%
Median age	28.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.4%

Asian 4.3%

Two or more races 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	291	95.4%
Asian	13	4.3%
Two or more races	1	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.1%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.7%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	26.1%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.8%

$10k–$15k 3.5%

$15k–$25k 4.4%

$25k–$35k 4.4%

$35k–$50k 15.0%

$50k–$75k 34.5%

$75k–$100k 5.3%

$100k–$150k 8.8%

$150k–$200k 7.1%

$200k+ 15.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.8%
$10k–$15k	3.5%
$15k–$25k	4.4%
$25k–$35k	4.4%
$35k–$50k	15.0%
$50k–$75k	34.5%
$75k–$100k	5.3%
$100k–$150k	8.8%
$150k–$200k	7.1%
$200k+	15.0%
Median income	$70,461

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.8%

$50k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 14.7%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k–$300k 7.3%

$300k–$500k 37.6%

$500k–$1M 5.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$203,100
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	96.5%
Renter occupied	3.5%
Vacant	25.2%
Single-family detached	78.8%
Large apartment buildings	1.3%
Mobile homes	15.9%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.71

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.3%
2000–2009	10.6%
1990–1999	0.0%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	15.9%
1960–1969	0.7%
1950–1959	1.3%
1940–1949	2.0%
1939 or earlier	64.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.3%
2 bedrooms	28.5%
3 bedrooms	18.5%
4 bedrooms	37.1%
5+ bedrooms	12.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.8%
1 vehicle	15.9%
2 vehicles	25.7%
3 or more	56.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	29.2%
Propane / LP gas	48.7%
Fuel oil	3.5%
Wood	16.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	57	50.4%
Cohabiting couple	23	20.4%
Male householder, no spouse	9	8.0%
Female householder, no spouse	24	21.2%
Households with children under 18	38	33.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	46	40.7%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	48.6%	29.4%
Married	50.5%	39.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	17.5%
Divorced	0.9%	13.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.5%

Some HS, no diploma 0.0%

HS graduate 43.7%

Some college, no degree 25.1%

Associate's degree 12.0%

Bachelor's degree 4.4%

Graduate / professional 3.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.5%
Bachelor's or higher	7.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	5	12.5%
Elementary school	20	50.0%
High school	6	15.0%
College / grad school	9	22.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Retail trade 23.3%

Manufacturing 15.7%

Professional & management 12.6%

Construction 11.3%

Finance & real estate 5.7%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.4%
Service	24.5%
Sales & office	32.7%
Natural resources & construction	13.8%
Production & transportation	7.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	98.7%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	1.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	43.4%
Carpool	35.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	8.8%
Work from home	8.8%
Other means	3.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.7

Poverty

All people 8.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 11.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 8.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.7%
Retirement income	35.4%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	16.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.3%
High blood pressure	37.7%
High cholesterol	36.7%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	29.4%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.1%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	27.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.2%
Depression	17.4%
Fair or poor health	15.7%
Poor mental health	13.5%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.4%
Visited dentist	61.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	15.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	8	3.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.1%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	8.2%
65 and over	36.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.1%
Public insurance	35.1%
No insurance	11.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	275	90.2%
Spanish	1	0.4%
Other Indo-European	1	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	291	95.4%
Born in same state	283	92.8%
Born in different state	129	42.3%
Foreign born	8	2.6%
Naturalized citizen	14	4.6%
Not a US citizen	13	92.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	36	11.8%
French	31	10.2%
Arab	16	5.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	9	3%
Italian	7	2.3%
English	2	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	94.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 52134

What city is ZIP code 52134 in?

ZIP code 52134 is primarily assigned to Chester, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 52134 in?

ZIP code 52134 falls within Howard County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 52134 mostly owner-occupied?

97% of occupied units in ZIP code 52134 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 52134?

8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the population of ZIP code 52134?

ZIP code 52134 has an estimated population of 305 residents, with a density of 11 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 52134?

The median home value in ZIP code 52134 is $203,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 52134 in?

ZIP code 52134 observes the CST timezone.