51638 ZIP Code — Essex, IA

Page County, Iowa

ZIP code 51638 is located in Essex, Iowa, within Page County. It covers approximately 80.44 square miles and serves a population of 1,350 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51638

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 $100,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,319. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 51638 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,350

population

80.44

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51638 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51638

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51638. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Essex	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51603 Shenandoah (7.6 mi) 51601 Shenandoah (8.6 mi) 51636 Coin (12 mi) 51632 Clarinda (12.5 mi) 51566 Red Oak (12.8 mi) 51639 Farragut (13 mi) 51573 Stanton (13.4 mi) 51649 Randolph (14.2 mi) 51533 Emerson (14.5 mi) 51630 Blanchard (16.4 mi) 51540 Hastings (17.1 mi) 50864 Villisca (17.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,350
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	145

Geography
Land area	80.44 sq mi
Water area	0.19 sq mi
Latitude	40.8421
Longitude	-95.2661
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	48.5%	49.0%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.5%	34.1%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	12.0%	15.2%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	1.7%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,350

Population

People per sq mi

51.0

Median age

$61,319

Median household income

$38,200

Per capita income

$100,200

Median home value

$667

Median monthly rent

77.7%

Home ownership

8.6%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

525

Housing units

16.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

102

45–54

102

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	202	15.0%
18 and over	1,148	85.0%
65 and over	322	23.9%
Median age	51.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.8%

Two or more races 3.8%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,281	92.8%
Two or more races	52	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	31	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.5%	49.0%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.5%	34.1%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	12.0%	15.2%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	1.7%	5.0%

Under $10k 8.7%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 8.7%

$25k–$35k 8.0%

$35k–$50k 6.7%

$50k–$75k 23.2%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k+ 3.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.7%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	8.7%
$25k–$35k	8.0%
$35k–$50k	6.7%
$50k–$75k	23.2%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	20.2%
$150k–$200k	3.4%
$200k+	3.6%
Median income	$61,319

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.7%

$50k–$100k 29.2%

$100k–$150k 21.8%

$150k–$200k 14.8%

$200k–$300k 8.0%

$300k–$500k 2.7%

$500k–$1M 2.3%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$100,200
Median rent / month	$667
Owner occupied	77.7%
Renter occupied	22.3%
Vacant	7.9%
Single-family detached	88.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.2%
Median rooms	6.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.26

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	1.5%
1990–1999	8.8%
1980–1989	4.1%
1970–1979	16.8%
1960–1969	3.8%
1950–1959	11.3%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	47.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.7%
2 bedrooms	24.8%
3 bedrooms	46.9%
4 bedrooms	19.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.3%
1 vehicle	28.4%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	31.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	47.0%
Electricity	24.1%
Propane / LP gas	27.4%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	268	44.0%
Cohabiting couple	27	4.4%
Male householder, no spouse	183	30.0%
Female householder, no spouse	131	21.5%
Households with children under 18	118	19.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	252	41.4%
Average household size	2.22

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.3%	26.3%
Married	50.9%	50.3%
Separated	3.8%	0.7%
Widowed	7.7%	7.1%
Divorced	16.3%	15.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.0%

HS graduate 43.0%

Some college, no degree 24.0%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 11.9%

Graduate / professional 4.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.8%
Bachelor's or higher	16.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	17	9.2%
Kindergarten	6	3.3%
Elementary school	73	39.7%
High school	48	26.1%
College / grad school	40	21.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 18.3%

Manufacturing 18.0%

Education & healthcare 18.0%

Agriculture & mining 14.3%

Transportation & utilities 7.7%

Wholesale trade 3.9%

Public administration 3.9%

Other services 3.7%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Professional & management 3.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.2%

Construction 2.1%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.1%
Service	9.1%
Sales & office	17.6%
Natural resources & construction	11.4%
Production & transportation	26.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.7%
Government	10.5%
Self-employed	11.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.8%
Carpool	4.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	6.9%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.0

Poverty

All people 8.6%

Under 18 years 5.2%

18 and over 9.1%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 10.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.8%
Retirement income	21.3%
Supplemental Security	4.1%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.5%
High blood pressure	35.3%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	27.6%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.7%
Binge drinking	20.2%
No physical activity	24.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.3%
Depression	16.7%
Fair or poor health	12.2%
Poor mental health	12.3%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	8.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.8%
Visited dentist	65.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.9%
Teeth loss	11.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	89	7.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.0%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	3.8%
65 and over	17.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	77.8%
Public insurance	40.9%
No insurance	2.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,297	96.1%
Spanish	4	0.3%
Other Indo-European	2	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,328	98.4%
Born in same state	1,328	98.4%
Born in different state	763	56.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	22	1.6%
Not a US citizen	4	18.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	191	14.1%
French	144	10.7%
Arab	56	4.1%
Dutch	37	2.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	10	0.7%
English	5	0.4%
Polish	5	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.1%
Internet access	86.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51638

What city is ZIP code 51638 in?

ZIP code 51638 is primarily assigned to Essex, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51638 in?

ZIP code 51638 falls within Page County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51638 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 51638 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51638?

The median home value in ZIP code 51638 is $100,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 51638?

ZIP code 51638 has an estimated population of 1,350 residents, with a density of 17 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 51638?

The median household income in ZIP code 51638 is $61,319, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 51638 in?

ZIP code 51638 observes the CST timezone.