51527 ZIP Code — Defiance, IA

Shelby County, Iowa

ZIP code 51527 is located in Defiance, Iowa, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 42.26 square miles and serves a population of 395 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51527

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 $134,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 91%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,250. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing 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.

Overall, ZIP code 51527 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

395

population

42.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51527 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51527

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51527. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Defiance	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51530 Earling (5.5 mi) 51454 Manilla (8.4 mi) 51446 Irwin (8.5 mi) 51562 Panama (10.3 mi) 51528 Dow City (12.3 mi) 51442 Denison (13.6 mi) 51537 Harlan (14 mi) 51455 Manning (15.4 mi) 51565 Portsmouth (16 mi) 51529 Dunlap (16.4 mi) 51543 Kimballton (18.9 mi) 51579 Woodbine (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	395
Population density	9 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	165

Geography
Land area	42.26 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	41.8270
Longitude	-95.3456
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	27.4%	43.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	45.6%	31.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	23.0%	20.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.8%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

395

Population

People per sq mi

59.1

Median age

$71,250

Median household income

$40,496

Per capita income

$134,200

Median home value

$671

Median monthly rent

90.5%

Home ownership

6.6%

Poverty rate

0.9%

Unemployment

157

Housing units

15.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	74	18.7%
18 and over	321	81.3%
65 and over	123	31.1%
Median age	59.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 2%

Two or more races 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	384	95.3%
Hispanic or Latino	8	2%
Other race	8	2%
Two or more races	3	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.4%	43.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	45.6%	31.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	23.0%	20.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.8%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.2%

$10k–$15k 4.1%

$15k–$25k 1.8%

$25k–$35k 5.3%

$35k–$50k 12.4%

$50k–$75k 25.4%

$75k–$100k 18.9%

$100k–$150k 22.5%

$200k+ 8.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.2%
$10k–$15k	4.1%
$15k–$25k	1.8%
$25k–$35k	5.3%
$35k–$50k	12.4%
$50k–$75k	25.4%
$75k–$100k	18.9%
$100k–$150k	22.5%
$200k+	8.3%
Median income	$71,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.2%

$50k–$100k 17.0%

$100k–$150k 33.3%

$150k–$200k 5.2%

$200k–$300k 3.9%

$300k–$500k 11.1%

$500k–$1M 4.6%

$1M+ 15.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$134,200
Median rent / month	$671
Owner occupied	90.5%
Renter occupied	9.5%
Vacant	2.3%
Single-family detached	97.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.6%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.33

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.0%
2000–2009	4.0%
1990–1999	0.6%
1980–1989	9.8%
1970–1979	10.4%
1960–1969	8.7%
1950–1959	25.4%
1940–1949	2.3%
1939 or earlier	34.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	2.3%
2 bedrooms	31.8%
3 bedrooms	37.6%
4 bedrooms	25.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	16.0%
2 vehicles	39.1%
3 or more	45.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	33.1%
Electricity	47.3%
Propane / LP gas	17.8%
Wood	1.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	97	57.4%
Cohabiting couple	25	14.8%
Male householder, no spouse	23	13.6%
Female householder, no spouse	24	14.2%
Households with children under 18	36	21.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	72	42.6%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	10.5%	13.9%
Married	57.6%	59.6%
Separated	0.0%	1.8%
Widowed	2.3%	5.4%
Divorced	29.7%	19.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 2.8%

HS graduate 53.9%

Some college, no degree 15.6%

Associate's degree 11.8%

Bachelor's degree 6.5%

Graduate / professional 8.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.3%
Bachelor's or higher	15.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	11	20.8%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	27	50.9%
High school	14	26.4%
College / grad school	1	1.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 27.8%

Finance & real estate 12.6%

Agriculture & mining 9.9%

Wholesale trade 9.4%

Education & healthcare 9.0%

Transportation & utilities 8.5%

Construction 7.2%

Professional & management 6.7%

Retail trade 3.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.7%

Other services 1.8%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.0%
Service	3.6%
Sales & office	18.4%
Natural resources & construction	18.4%
Production & transportation	20.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.9%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	10.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.0%
Carpool	2.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.4%
Work from home	9.7%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.4

Poverty

All people 6.6%

Under 18 years 13.5%

18 and over 5.0%

Married-couple families 5.2%

Female-led households 57.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.2%
Retirement income	17.8%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.3%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	10.2%
Heart disease	6.5%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	25.4%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	22.0%
No physical activity	23.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.5%
Depression	16.9%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	12.5%
Poor physical health	9.6%
No health insurance	8.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.9%
Visited dentist	71.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.8%
Teeth loss	11.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	19	5.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.1%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	4.0%
65 and over	14.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.6%
Public insurance	57.7%
No insurance	8.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	381	96.5%
Spanish	5	1.3%
Other Indo-European	5	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	390	98.7%
Born in same state	390	98.7%
Born in different state	290	73.4%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	5	1.3%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	66	16.7%
Arab	19	4.8%
Dutch	15	3.8%
French	10	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	2	0.5%
Norwegian	2	0.5%
English	1	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	94.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51527

What city is ZIP code 51527 in?

ZIP code 51527 is primarily assigned to Defiance, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51527 in?

ZIP code 51527 falls within Shelby County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51527 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 51527 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 51527 mostly owner-occupied?

91% of occupied units in ZIP code 51527 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51527 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 51527 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51527?

The median home value in ZIP code 51527 is $134,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 51527 in?

ZIP code 51527 observes the CST timezone.