51540 ZIP Code — Hastings, IA

Mills County, Iowa

ZIP code 51540 is located in Hastings, Iowa, within Mills County. It covers approximately 57.41 square miles and serves a population of 304 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51540

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 $166,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($63,750) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 70% 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 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 27% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 27%.

Overall, ZIP code 51540 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

304

population

57.41

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51540 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51540

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51540. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hastings	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51551 Malvern (4.5 mi) 51533 Emerson (7.1 mi) 51571 Silver City (10 mi) 51534 Glenwood (10.9 mi) 51649 Randolph (12 mi) 51549 Macedonia (12.3 mi) 51653 Tabor (13.6 mi) 51566 Red Oak (14.6 mi) 51525 Carson (14.8 mi) 51575 Treynor (15.8 mi) 51561 Pacific Junction (16.2 mi) 51638 Essex (17.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	304
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	57.41 sq mi
Water area	0.18 sq mi
Latitude	41.0162
Longitude	-95.4992
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	47.1%	29.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	24.3%	36.6%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	28.6%	26.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	6.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

304

Population

People per sq mi

62.4

Median age

$63,750

Median household income

$43,177

Per capita income

$166,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

88.1%

Home ownership

0.7%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

187

Housing units

15.4%

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	53	17.4%
18 and over	251	82.6%
65 and over	116	38.2%
Median age	62.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.4%

Two or more races 5.9%

Asian 2.6%

Group	Count	%
White	278	91.4%
Two or more races	18	5.9%
Asian	8	2.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.1%	29.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	24.3%	36.6%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	28.6%	26.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	6.9%	5.0%

$10k–$15k 0.7%

$15k–$25k 26.1%

$25k–$35k 10.4%

$35k–$50k 10.4%

$50k–$75k 6.7%

$75k–$100k 9.7%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 13.4%

$200k+ 9.7%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	0.7%
$15k–$25k	26.1%
$25k–$35k	10.4%
$35k–$50k	10.4%
$50k–$75k	6.7%
$75k–$100k	9.7%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	13.4%
$200k+	9.7%
Median income	$63,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 33.1%

$50k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 0.8%

$150k–$200k 13.6%

$200k–$300k 24.6%

$300k–$500k 13.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$166,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	88.1%
Renter occupied	11.9%
Vacant	34.0%
Single-family detached	88.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	11.3%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.31

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	21.2%
1990–1999	8.9%
1980–1989	6.4%
1970–1979	5.9%
1960–1969	10.8%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	1.0%
1939 or earlier	45.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	10.3%
2 bedrooms	18.2%
3 bedrooms	33.5%
4 bedrooms	35.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.0%
1 vehicle	19.4%
2 vehicles	38.8%
3 or more	32.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	6.0%
Propane / LP gas	85.8%
Wood	8.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	94	70.1%
Cohabiting couple	5	3.7%
Male householder, no spouse	25	18.7%
Female householder, no spouse	10	7.5%
Households with children under 18	15	11.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	65	48.5%
Average household size	2.27

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	9.2%	2.6%
Married	71.8%	80.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	16.9%	10.4%
Divorced	2.1%	6.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 20.2%

HS graduate 43.7%

Some college, no degree 6.1%

Associate's degree 14.6%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.8%
Bachelor's or higher	15.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	36	78.3%
High school	10	21.7%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.3%

Manufacturing 20.7%

Other services 18.4%

Agriculture & mining 12.6%

Professional & management 4.6%

Public administration 3.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.3%

Finance & real estate 2.3%

Construction 1.1%

Retail trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.9%
Service	25.3%
Sales & office	12.6%
Natural resources & construction	12.6%
Production & transportation	11.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.4%
Government	24.1%
Self-employed	3.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.4%
Carpool	12.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.8

Poverty

All people 0.7%

Under 18 years 3.8%

18 and over 0.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	70.1%
Retirement income	25.4%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.3%
High blood pressure	36.8%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	29.1%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.1%
Binge drinking	19.7%
No physical activity	25.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	17.2%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	8.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	67.1%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	14.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	67	26.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	27.3%
Under 18	5.7%
18–64 years	27.4%
65 and over	37.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.2%
Public insurance	61.5%
No insurance	0.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	297	97.7%
Spanish	7	2.4%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	7	2.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	283	93.1%
Born in same state	283	93.1%
Born in different state	146	48.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	21	6.9%
Not a US citizen	14	66.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	56	18.4%
Arab	41	13.5%
Polish	29	9.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	28	9.2%
German	2	0.7%
English	1	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.1%
Internet access	94.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51540

What city is ZIP code 51540 in?

ZIP code 51540 is primarily assigned to Hastings, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51540 in?

ZIP code 51540 falls within Mills County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51540 have a large retiree population?

70% of households in ZIP code 51540 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 51540 have an older population?

38% of residents in ZIP code 51540 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 51540 have a large veteran population?

27% of civilians in ZIP code 51540 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Is ZIP code 51540 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 51540 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 51540 in?

ZIP code 51540 observes the CST timezone.