51501 ZIP Code — Council Bluffs, IA

Pottawattamie County, Iowa

ZIP code 51501 is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, within Pottawattamie County. It covers approximately 23.95 square miles and serves a population of 35,400 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51501

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 $130,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $56,054. 31% 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 19 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 51501 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

35,400

population

23.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Council Bluffs	Acceptable
Council Bluffs	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

68108 Omaha (2.7 mi) 68102 Omaha (3.5 mi) 68183 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68175 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68179 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68178 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68197 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68172 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68180 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68176 Omaha (3.6 mi) 68107 Omaha (4.1 mi) 68110 Omaha (4.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	35,400
Population density	1,478 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	155

Geography
Land area	23.95 sq mi
Water area	2.40 sq mi
Latitude	41.2330
Longitude	-95.8774
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	49.9%	41.8%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	33.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	13.6%	20.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.4%	3.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

35,400

Population

1,478

People per sq mi

38.0

Median age

$56,054

Median household income

$28,405

Per capita income

$130,300

Median home value

$979

Median monthly rent

65.1%

Home ownership

14.2%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

10,227

Housing units

15.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,086

Under 5

1,104

1,055

5–9

1,073

1,127

10–14

1,146

1,054

15–19

1,072

1,141

20–24

1,161

2,654

25–34

2,700

2,342

35–44

2,383

1,917

45–54

1,950

1,315

55–59

1,337

1,189

60–64

1,209

1,622

65–74

1,650

768

75–84

781

280

85+

284

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,976	22.5%
18 and over	27,424	77.5%
65 and over	5,385	15.2%
Median age	38.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.8%

Hispanic or Latino 7.2%

Two or more races 7.1%

Other race 3%

Black or African American 1.8%

Asian 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	30,053	78.8%
Hispanic or Latino	2,761	7.2%
Two or more races	2,724	7.1%
Other race	1,142	3%
Black or African American	698	1.8%
Asian	644	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	108	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	31	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.9%	41.8%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	33.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	13.6%	20.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.4%	3.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 4.7%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 8.8%

$25k–$35k 11.6%

$35k–$50k 13.3%

$50k–$75k 21.0%

$75k–$100k 13.2%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.7%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	8.8%
$25k–$35k	11.6%
$35k–$50k	13.3%
$50k–$75k	21.0%
$75k–$100k	13.2%
$100k–$150k	15.6%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$56,054

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.4%

$50k–$100k 20.3%

$100k–$150k 33.4%

$150k–$200k 23.1%

$200k–$300k 8.4%

$300k–$500k 3.7%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$130,300
Median rent / month	$979
Owner occupied	65.1%
Renter occupied	34.9%
Vacant	6.1%
Single-family detached	71.6%
Large apartment buildings	5.0%
Mobile homes	7.4%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.41

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	9.7%
1990–1999	9.8%
1980–1989	6.0%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	15.3%
1940–1949	4.6%
1939 or earlier	29.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	10.1%
2 bedrooms	37.1%
3 bedrooms	41.0%
4 bedrooms	9.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.3%
1 vehicle	37.1%
2 vehicles	38.2%
3 or more	18.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	83.2%
Electricity	14.8%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,494	38.5%
Cohabiting couple	1,545	10.8%
Male householder, no spouse	3,006	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	4,239	29.7%
Households with children under 18	4,035	28.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,148	29.0%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.1%	32.3%
Married	43.5%	40.1%
Separated	1.3%	1.2%
Widowed	3.1%	8.5%
Divorced	12.0%	17.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.4%

HS graduate 39.5%

Some college, no degree 20.7%

Associate's degree 10.3%

Bachelor's degree 10.3%

Graduate / professional 4.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.6%
Bachelor's or higher	15.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	468	6.2%
Kindergarten	492	6.5%
Elementary school	3,298	43.5%
High school	1,799	23.7%
College / grad school	1,531	20.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.1%

Retail trade 13.3%

Manufacturing 13.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.8%

Finance & real estate 7.8%

Professional & management 7.8%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Construction 5.9%

Other services 5.0%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Public administration 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.7%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.3%
Service	21.2%
Sales & office	19.9%
Natural resources & construction	9.7%
Production & transportation	20.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	87.5%
Government	8.2%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.5%
Carpool	10.0%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	5.7%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.9

Poverty

All people 14.2%

Under 18 years 20.5%

18 and over 12.4%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 26.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.6%
Retirement income	21.2%
Supplemental Security	7.6%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.9%
High blood pressure	32.4%
High cholesterol	30.1%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	25.1%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.5%
Binge drinking	22.5%
No physical activity	29.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	22.1%
Fair or poor health	15.4%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	12.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.6%
Visited dentist	57.3%
Cholesterol screening	84.1%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,467	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	6.2%
18–64 years	15.8%
65 and over	41.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.9%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	7.5%
Uninsured under 19	4.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	33,210	93.8%
Spanish	1,540	4.6%
Other Indo-European	1,370	4.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	26	0.1%
Other languages	135	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	33,159	93.7%
Born in same state	32,833	92.7%
Born in different state	18,443	52.1%
Foreign born	326	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	2,241	6.3%
Not a US citizen	927	41.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	4,028	11.4%
French	3,897	11%
Arab	1,700	4.8%
Dutch	793	2.2%
Polish	636	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	509	1.4%
German	83	0.2%
Irish	21	0.1%
Norwegian	16	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.4%
Internet access	90.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51501

What city is ZIP code 51501 in?

ZIP code 51501 is primarily assigned to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51501 in?

ZIP code 51501 falls within Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51501?

The median home value in ZIP code 51501 is $130,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 51501?

ZIP code 51501 has an estimated population of 35,400 residents, with a density of 1,478 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 51501?

The median household income in ZIP code 51501 is $56,054, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 51501 in?

ZIP code 51501 observes the CST timezone.