51533 ZIP Code — Emerson, IA

Mills County, Iowa

ZIP code 51533 is located in Emerson, Iowa, within Mills County. It covers approximately 79.93 square miles and serves a population of 843 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51533

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 $139,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $66,029. 38% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

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

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 51533 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

843

population

79.93

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51533 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51533

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51533. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Emerson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51540 Hastings (7.1 mi) 51566 Red Oak (7.7 mi) 51549 Macedonia (11.2 mi) 51551 Malvern (11.6 mi) 51525 Carson (12.5 mi) 51571 Silver City (14.1 mi) 51638 Essex (14.5 mi) 51573 Stanton (14.9 mi) 51532 Elliott (14.9 mi) 51649 Randolph (16.1 mi) 51534 Glenwood (17.8 mi) 51575 Treynor (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	843
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	79.93 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	41.0378
Longitude	-95.3656
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	38.1%	29.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	36.6%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	26.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	6.1%	6.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

843

Population

People per sq mi

47.8

Median age

$66,029

Median household income

$36,374

Per capita income

$139,800

Median home value

$983

Median monthly rent

80.1%

Home ownership

10.0%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

361

Housing units

21.8%

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	155	18.4%
18 and over	688	81.6%
65 and over	189	22.4%
Median age	47.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.7%

Two or more races 3.4%

Hispanic or Latino 0.5%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	811	95.7%
Two or more races	29	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	4	0.5%
Asian	3	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	29.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	36.6%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	26.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	6.1%	6.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.9%

$10k–$15k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 3.8%

$25k–$35k 8.9%

$35k–$50k 13.2%

$50k–$75k 22.0%

$75k–$100k 20.2%

$100k–$150k 11.0%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k+ 6.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.9%
$10k–$15k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	3.8%
$25k–$35k	8.9%
$35k–$50k	13.2%
$50k–$75k	22.0%
$75k–$100k	20.2%
$100k–$150k	11.0%
$150k–$200k	5.4%
$200k+	6.7%
Median income	$66,029

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 28.2%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k–$300k 16.4%

$300k–$500k 11.1%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$139,800
Median rent / month	$983
Owner occupied	80.1%
Renter occupied	19.9%
Vacant	14.5%
Single-family detached	94.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.2%
Median rooms	7.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.5%
2000–2009	4.8%
1990–1999	7.8%
1980–1989	3.4%
1970–1979	9.9%
1960–1969	5.5%
1950–1959	5.1%
1940–1949	9.9%
1939 or earlier	53.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.0%
2 bedrooms	18.4%
3 bedrooms	38.6%
4 bedrooms	34.0%
5+ bedrooms	6.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.2%
1 vehicle	22.0%
2 vehicles	34.7%
3 or more	37.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	52.7%
Electricity	12.9%
Propane / LP gas	29.6%
Fuel oil	4.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	225	60.5%
Cohabiting couple	10	2.7%
Male householder, no spouse	58	15.6%
Female householder, no spouse	79	21.2%
Households with children under 18	70	18.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	130	34.9%
Average household size	2.27

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.9%	16.7%
Married	64.6%	60.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	5.7%	10.8%
Divorced	4.8%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 5.1%

HS graduate 28.3%

Some college, no degree 28.5%

Associate's degree 13.4%

Bachelor's degree 16.2%

Graduate / professional 5.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.9%
Bachelor's or higher	21.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	9	5.3%
Kindergarten	11	6.5%
Elementary school	56	32.9%
High school	62	36.5%
College / grad school	32	18.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.2%

Agriculture & mining 13.0%

Construction 9.9%

Retail trade 9.4%

Manufacturing 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 7.3%

Wholesale trade 7.0%

Other services 5.7%

Professional & management 5.2%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Information 2.9%

Public administration 2.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.3%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	21.9%
Natural resources & construction	5.5%
Production & transportation	20.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.4%
Government	10.2%
Self-employed	10.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.1%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.3%
Work from home	10.1%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.6

Poverty

All people 10.0%

Under 18 years 23.9%

18 and over 6.8%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.2%
Retirement income	35.8%
Supplemental Security	11.3%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.1%
High blood pressure	36.1%
High cholesterol	36.3%
Diabetes	11.3%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	28.4%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	20.3%
No physical activity	25.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.3%
Depression	17.5%
Fair or poor health	13.7%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	8.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	67.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	13.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	91	13.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.2%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	11.3%
65 and over	30.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.6%
Public insurance	41.6%
No insurance	1.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	821	97.4%
Spanish	4	0.5%
Other Indo-European	4	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	825	97.9%
Born in same state	823	97.6%
Born in different state	514	61.0%
Foreign born	2	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	18	2.1%
Not a US citizen	18	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	157	18.6%
French	117	13.9%
Arab	52	6.2%
Dutch	31	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	29	3.4%
Polish	21	2.5%
German	1	0.1%
Irish	1	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.1%
Internet access	94.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51533

What city is ZIP code 51533 in?

ZIP code 51533 is primarily assigned to Emerson, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51533 in?

ZIP code 51533 falls within Mills County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 51533 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 51533 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51533 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 51533 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 51533 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 51533 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51533?

The median home value in ZIP code 51533 is $139,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 51533 in?

ZIP code 51533 observes the CST timezone.