51537 ZIP Code — Harlan, IA
Shelby County, Iowa
ZIP code 51537 is located in Harlan, Iowa, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 163.79 square miles and serves a population of 6,852 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.
About ZIP code 51537
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 $155,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.
Median household income is $66,615. 36% 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 14 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
6,852
population
163.79
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
51537 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 51537
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51537. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Harlan | Acceptable |
| Harlan | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
51446 Irwin (10 mi)
51543 Kimballton (10.6 mi)
51531 Elk Horn (10.9 mi)
51521 Avoca (12.2 mi)
51577 Walnut (12.6 mi)
51570 Shelby (13.4 mi)
51562 Panama (13.8 mi)
51552 Marne (13.8 mi)
51527 Defiance (14 mi)
51565 Portsmouth (14 mi)
51530 Earling (14.1 mi)
51563 Persia (17.5 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 6,852 |
| Population density | 42 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 19 |
| County FIPS | 165 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 163.79 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.29 sq mi |
| Latitude | 41.6334 |
| Longitude | -95.2672 |
| 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 | 45.2% | 43.2% | 40.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 26.6% | 31.4% | 33.4% |
| $100k – $200k | 22.7% | 20.5% | 21.5% |
| Over $200k | 5.5% | 4.8% | 5.0% |
Demographics & statistics
6,852
Population
42
People per sq mi
43.7
Median age
$66,615
Median household income
$38,464
Per capita income
$155,600
Median home value
$1,036
Median monthly rent
73.6%
Home ownership
9.8%
Poverty rate
2.5%
Unemployment
2,385
Housing units
24.3%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
211
Under 5
217
224
5–9
231
146
10–14
150
298
15–19
306
147
20–24
152
312
25–34
321
392
35–44
403
322
45–54
332
242
55–59
248
343
60–64
353
346
65–74
355
226
75–84
233
169
85+
173
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1,521 | 22.2% |
| 18 and over | 5,331 | 77.8% |
| 65 and over | 1,502 | 21.9% |
| Median age | 43.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
89.7%
Two or more races
3.9%
Hispanic or Latino
3.1%
Other race
1.7%
Black or African American
1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 6,345 | 89.7% |
| Two or more races | 277 | 3.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 221 | 3.1% |
| Other race | 120 | 1.7% |
| Black or African American | 105 | 1.5% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 5 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 45.2% | 43.2% | 40.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 26.6% | 31.4% | 33.4% |
| $100k – $200k | 22.7% | 20.5% | 21.5% |
| Over $200k | 5.5% | 4.8% | 5.0% |
Under $10k
3.5%
$10k–$15k
3.1%
$15k–$25k
13.0%
$25k–$35k
5.5%
$35k–$50k
14.0%
$50k–$75k
15.8%
$75k–$100k
12.2%
$100k–$150k
16.7%
$150k–$200k
7.5%
$200k+
8.7%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 3.5% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.1% |
| $15k–$25k | 13.0% |
| $25k–$35k | 5.5% |
| $35k–$50k | 14.0% |
| $50k–$75k | 15.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 12.2% |
| $100k–$150k | 16.7% |
| $150k–$200k | 7.5% |
| $200k+ | 8.7% |
| Median income | $66,615 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
12.9%
$50k–$100k
13.1%
$100k–$150k
21.5%
$150k–$200k
18.6%
$200k–$300k
18.4%
$300k–$500k
11.8%
$500k–$1M
2.7%
$1M+
1.0%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $155,600 |
| Median rent / month | $1,036 |
| Owner occupied | 73.6% |
| Renter occupied | 26.4% |
| Vacant | 9.5% |
| Single-family detached | 88.3% |
| Large apartment buildings | 3.8% |
| Mobile homes | 1.9% |
| Median rooms | 6.3 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.47 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 3.0% |
| 2000–2009 | 6.8% |
| 1990–1999 | 5.3% |
| 1980–1989 | 5.8% |
| 1970–1979 | 17.0% |
| 1960–1969 | 10.3% |
| 1950–1959 | 7.4% |
| 1940–1949 | 6.2% |
| 1939 or earlier | 38.2% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | 5.7% |
| 2 bedrooms | 24.8% |
| 3 bedrooms | 39.6% |
| 4 bedrooms | 21.9% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 7.7% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 3.8% |
| 1 vehicle | 31.3% |
| 2 vehicles | 35.2% |
| 3 or more | 29.6% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 55.1% |
| Electricity | 28.2% |
| Propane / LP gas | 13.9% |
| Fuel oil | 0.7% |
| Wood | 1.7% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 1,502 | 52.9% |
| Cohabiting couple | 178 | 6.3% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 532 | 18.8% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 625 | 22.0% |
| Households with children under 18 | 758 | 26.7% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 967 | 34.1% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 28.9% | 23.8% |
| Married | 56.2% | 53.1% |
| Separated | 2.2% | 0.4% |
| Widowed | 6.7% | 11.6% |
| Divorced | 6.1% | 11.1% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.0%
Some HS, no diploma
4.9%
HS graduate
30.8%
Some college, no degree
20.6%
Associate's degree
17.5%
Bachelor's degree
18.0%
Graduate / professional
6.3%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 93.1% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 24.3% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 111 | 6.9% |
| Kindergarten | 86 | 5.3% |
| Elementary school | 544 | 33.6% |
| High school | 542 | 33.5% |
| College / grad school | 335 | 20.7% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
23.6%
Retail trade
13.6%
Manufacturing
11.8%
Professional & management
9.2%
Construction
8.5%
Agriculture & mining
6.6%
Transportation & utilities
6.4%
Finance & real estate
6.3%
Public administration
4.0%
Arts, food & hospitality
3.7%
Wholesale trade
2.5%
Other services
2.2%
Information
1.6%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 38.0% |
| Service | 11.7% |
| Sales & office | 21.4% |
| Natural resources & construction | 9.2% |
| Production & transportation | 19.7% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 80.6% |
| Government | 11.3% |
| Self-employed | 7.8% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.3% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.0% |
| Carpool | 10.6% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 3.8% |
| Work from home | 9.5% |
| Other means | 0.7% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 14.0 |
Poverty
All people
9.8%
Under 18 years
5.3%
18 and over
11.1%
Married-couple families
8.3%
Female-led households
36.3%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 36.2% |
| Retirement income | 20.5% |
| Supplemental Security | 1.1% |
| Cash public assistance | 2.6% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 13.2% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 38.4% |
| High blood pressure | 36.9% |
| High cholesterol | 36.4% |
| Diabetes | 10.8% |
| Heart disease | 7.6% |
| Stroke | 3.5% |
| Asthma | 9.2% |
| Arthritis | 28.0% |
| Kidney disease | 3.2% |
| Pulmonary disease | 7.5% |
| Cancer | 8.3% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 16.5% |
| Binge drinking | 20.1% |
| No physical activity | 25.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 29.5% |
| Depression | 17.1% |
| Fair or poor health | 13.3% |
| Poor mental health | 12.6% |
| Poor physical health | 10.1% |
| No health insurance | 9.3% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 76.1% |
| Visited dentist | 70.5% |
| Cholesterol screening | 90.0% |
| Teeth loss | 13.2% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 523 | 9.8% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 10.2% |
| Under 18 | 4.5% |
| 18–64 years | 7.4% |
| 65 and over | 23.6% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 71.1% |
| Public insurance | 40.8% |
| No insurance | 4.4% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 1.4% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 6,424 | 93.8% |
| Spanish | 97 | 1.5% |
| Other Indo-European | 97 | 1.5% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other languages | 0 | 0.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 6,659 | 97.2% |
| Born in same state | 6,582 | 96.1% |
| Born in different state | 4,614 | 67.3% |
| Foreign born | 77 | 1.1% |
| Naturalized citizen | 193 | 2.8% |
| Not a US citizen | 55 | 28.5% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 696 | 10.2% |
| French | 623 | 9.1% |
| Dutch | 485 | 7.1% |
| Polish | 290 | 4.2% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Arab | 256 | 3.7% |
| English | 75 | 1.1% |
| Norwegian | 20 | 0.3% |
| German | 1 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 41.4% |
| Internet access | 86.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51537
What city is ZIP code 51537 in?
ZIP code 51537 is primarily assigned to Harlan, Iowa.
What county is ZIP code 51537 in?
ZIP code 51537 falls within Shelby County, Iowa.
Does ZIP code 51537 have a large retiree population?
36% of households in ZIP code 51537 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
Does ZIP code 51537 have a large veteran population?
10% of civilians in ZIP code 51537 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51537?
The median home value in ZIP code 51537 is $155,600.
What is the population of ZIP code 51537?
ZIP code 51537 has an estimated population of 6,852 residents, with a density of 42 people per square mile.
What timezone is ZIP code 51537 in?
ZIP code 51537 observes the CST timezone.