51531 ZIP Code — Elk Horn, IA

Shelby County, Iowa

ZIP code 51531 is located in Elk Horn, Iowa, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 27.26 square miles and serves a population of 784 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51531

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 $143,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $59,722. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 37% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 51531 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

784

population

27.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51531 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51531

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51531. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Elk Horn	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51543 Kimballton (5.9 mi) 51552 Marne (6.8 mi) 50042 Brayton (8.5 mi) 50076 Exira (10.1 mi) 51577 Walnut (10.5 mi) 51537 Harlan (10.9 mi) 50022 Atlantic (12.5 mi) 50025 Audubon (14.3 mi) 51446 Irwin (15.3 mi) 51521 Avoca (16.9 mi) 50020 Anita (17.8 mi) 51544 Lewis (17.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	784
Population density	29 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	165

Geography
Land area	27.26 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.5678
Longitude	-95.0752
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	40.8%	43.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.0%	31.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	20.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	5.3%	4.8%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

784

Population

People per sq mi

43.3

Median age

$59,722

Median household income

$33,817

Per capita income

$143,800

Median home value

$600

Median monthly rent

74.7%

Home ownership

7.1%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

281

Housing units

26.8%

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	199	25.4%
18 and over	585	74.6%
65 and over	220	28.1%
Median age	43.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5%

Other race 4.5%

Two or more races 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	732	88.7%
Hispanic or Latino	41	5%
Other race	37	4.5%
Two or more races	8	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.8%	43.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.0%	31.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	20.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	5.3%	4.8%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.0%

$10k–$15k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 10.1%

$25k–$35k 4.9%

$35k–$50k 14.6%

$50k–$75k 29.9%

$75k–$100k 10.1%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k+ 8.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.0%
$10k–$15k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	10.1%
$25k–$35k	4.9%
$35k–$50k	14.6%
$50k–$75k	29.9%
$75k–$100k	10.1%
$100k–$150k	14.9%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
$200k+	8.4%
Median income	$59,722

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.0%

$50k–$100k 26.1%

$100k–$150k 23.9%

$150k–$200k 17.0%

$200k–$300k 21.7%

$300k–$500k 6.5%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$143,800
Median rent / month	$600
Owner occupied	74.7%
Renter occupied	25.3%
Vacant	14.2%
Single-family detached	91.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.67

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	1.4%
1990–1999	2.2%
1980–1989	1.9%
1970–1979	16.7%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	3.3%
1939 or earlier	59.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	26.5%
3 bedrooms	36.5%
4 bedrooms	22.6%
5+ bedrooms	6.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.3%
1 vehicle	22.7%
2 vehicles	42.2%
3 or more	34.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	47.4%
Electricity	31.2%
Propane / LP gas	12.3%
Wood	9.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	172	55.8%
Cohabiting couple	24	7.8%
Male householder, no spouse	50	16.2%
Female householder, no spouse	62	20.1%
Households with children under 18	77	25.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	117	38.0%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.6%	13.7%
Married	60.6%	50.6%
Separated	2.5%	2.6%
Widowed	5.0%	20.9%
Divorced	13.3%	12.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 3.0%

HS graduate 27.7%

Some college, no degree 34.1%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 16.8%

Graduate / professional 10.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.1%
Bachelor's or higher	26.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	52	29.1%
Kindergarten	9	5.0%
Elementary school	73	40.8%
High school	26	14.5%
College / grad school	19	10.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.2%

Manufacturing 14.5%

Transportation & utilities 12.3%

Retail trade 10.3%

Construction 8.1%

Wholesale trade 7.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.6%

Public administration 3.6%

Agriculture & mining 3.1%

Professional & management 2.8%

Information 2.5%

Other services 2.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.0%
Service	5.6%
Sales & office	26.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	22.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.1%
Government	14.5%
Self-employed	10.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.8%
Carpool	1.4%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	12.0%
Work from home	11.4%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.0

Poverty

All people 7.1%

Under 18 years 4.0%

18 and over 8.3%

Married-couple families 3.5%

Female-led households 40.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.0%
Retirement income	24.7%
Supplemental Security	1.0%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.3%
High blood pressure	40.0%
High cholesterol	38.8%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	30.6%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	10.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.0%
Binge drinking	18.2%
No physical activity	25.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.9%
Depression	15.5%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	11.1%
Poor physical health	9.9%
No health insurance	8.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.2%
Visited dentist	72.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.8%
Teeth loss	11.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	68	11.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.0%
Under 18	2.0%
18–64 years	5.1%
65 and over	17.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.6%
Public insurance	33.5%
No insurance	7.4%
Uninsured under 19	2.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	726	92.6%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	778	99.2%
Born in same state	773	98.6%
Born in different state	564	71.9%
Foreign born	5	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	6	0.8%
Not a US citizen	3	50.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	273	34.8%
Italian	80	10.2%
French	49	6.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	18	2.3%
Polish	13	1.7%
Arab	11	1.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.3%
Internet access	95.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51531

What city is ZIP code 51531 in?

ZIP code 51531 is primarily assigned to Elk Horn, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51531 in?

ZIP code 51531 falls within Shelby County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51531 have an older population?

28% of residents in ZIP code 51531 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 51531 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 51531 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 51531 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 51531 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51531?

The median home value in ZIP code 51531 is $143,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 51531 in?

ZIP code 51531 observes the CST timezone.