51238 ZIP Code — Hospers, IA

Sioux County, Iowa

ZIP code 51238 is located in Hospers, Iowa, within Sioux County. It covers approximately 49.16 square miles and serves a population of 1,401 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51238

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 $160,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $69,432. 35% 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.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 51238 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,401
population
49.16
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
51238 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 51238

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51238. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Hospers Acceptable
Hospers Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
51022 Granville (7 mi) 51201 Sheldon (7.2 mi) 51231 Archer (7.6 mi) 51003 Alton (8.2 mi) 51234 Boyden (10 mi) 51041 Orange City (10.1 mi) 51046 Paullina (13.7 mi) 51245 Primghar (13.9 mi) 51248 Sanborn (14.7 mi) 51239 Hull (15.5 mi) 51232 Ashton (16.3 mi) 51036 Maurice (16.9 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,401
Population density 28 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 167
Geography
Land area 49.16 sq mi
Water area 0.00 sq mi
Latitude 43.0766
Longitude -95.8896
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 39.7% 30.7% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 45.6% 42.1% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 11.6% 22.2% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.2% 5.0% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,401
Population
28
People per sq mi
31.4
Median age
$69,432
Median household income
$30,570
Per capita income
$160,900
Median home value
$641
Median monthly rent
87.6%
Home ownership
8.7%
Poverty rate
2.6%
Unemployment
460
Housing units
18.8%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
50
Under 5
51
65
5–9
66
74
10–14
75
61
15–19
61
34
20–24
34
87
25–34
88
89
35–44
90
54
45–54
54
27
55–59
27
23
60–64
24
70
65–74
70
41
75–84
41
22
85+
23
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1847634.0%
18 and over92566.0%
65 and over26719.1%
Median age31.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7%
Other race 6%
Two or more races 2.7%
Black or African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
GroupCount%
White1,24882.9%
Hispanic or Latino1057%
Other race916%
Two or more races402.7%
Black or African American171.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native50.3%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 39.7% 30.7% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 45.6% 42.1% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 11.6% 22.2% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.2% 5.0% 5.0%
Under $10k 0.8%
$10k–$15k 2.2%
$15k–$25k 2.4%
$25k–$35k 11.8%
$35k–$50k 17.1%
$50k–$75k 20.9%
$75k–$100k 16.7%
$100k–$150k 21.9%
$150k–$200k 3.3%
$200k+ 3.0%
Range% of households
Under $10k0.8%
$10k–$15k2.2%
$15k–$25k2.4%
$25k–$35k11.8%
$35k–$50k17.1%
$50k–$75k20.9%
$75k–$100k16.7%
$100k–$150k21.9%
$150k–$200k3.3%
$200k+3.0%
Median income$69,432

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.2%
$50k–$100k 16.6%
$100k–$150k 22.7%
$150k–$200k 21.3%
$200k–$300k 15.7%
$300k–$500k 16.0%
$500k–$1M 5.4%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$160,900
Median rent / month$641
Owner occupied87.6%
Renter occupied12.4%
Vacant2.9%
Single-family detached93.5%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes0.6%
Median rooms7.2
Avg household size (owned)2.74

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.4%
2000–20096.1%
1990–19998.8%
1980–19894.2%
1970–197917.4%
1960–19698.0%
1950–195914.7%
1940–19494.0%
1939 or earlier32.3%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom2.7%
2 bedrooms25.2%
3 bedrooms29.6%
4 bedrooms27.9%
5+ bedrooms14.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.2%
1 vehicle24.6%
2 vehicles38.4%
3 or more34.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas48.8%
Electricity41.7%
Propane / LP gas0.8%
Wood1.6%
Solar1.4%
No fuel used4.7%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family29758.5%
Cohabiting couple295.7%
Male householder, no spouse5911.6%
Female householder, no spouse12324.2%
Households with children under 1815229.9%
Households with seniors (65+)18235.8%
Average household size2.76

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married30.4%24.7%
Married63.0%61.2%
Separated0.0%0.0%
Widowed1.8%9.5%
Divorced4.9%4.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.8%
Some HS, no diploma 5.1%
HS graduate 33.3%
Some college, no degree 19.5%
Associate's degree 18.6%
Bachelor's degree 12.9%
Graduate / professional 5.9%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher90.1%
Bachelor's or higher18.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool4610.8%
Kindergarten388.9%
Elementary school22653.2%
High school9522.4%
College / grad school204.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.0%
Manufacturing 23.9%
Agriculture & mining 8.6%
Professional & management 8.1%
Retail trade 6.7%
Construction 5.9%
Arts, food & hospitality 5.8%
Other services 5.0%
Transportation & utilities 3.3%
Wholesale trade 2.5%
Public administration 2.5%
Finance & real estate 1.9%
Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts31.0%
Service16.2%
Sales & office20.6%
Natural resources & construction7.8%
Production & transportation24.3%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector82.2%
Government8.4%
Self-employed9.4%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone79.3%
Carpool8.5%
Public transit0.0%
Walk4.4%
Work from home6.1%
Other means1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)13.9

Poverty

All people 8.7%
Under 18 years 13.9%
18 and over 6.1%
Married-couple families 4.7%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security35.4%
Retirement income14.0%
Supplemental Security4.9%
Cash public assistance0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP5.1%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity35.1%
High blood pressure33.0%
High cholesterol32.8%
Diabetes9.3%
Heart disease6.3%
Stroke2.8%
Asthma8.8%
Arthritis24.5%
Kidney disease2.7%
Pulmonary disease6.2%
Cancer7.4%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.0%
Binge drinking20.6%
No physical activity23.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep28.4%
Depression16.3%
Fair or poor health11.2%
Poor mental health12.6%
Poor physical health8.8%
No health insurance9.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)75.1%
Visited dentist70.6%
Cholesterol screening88.9%
Teeth loss12.2%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans798.5%
Disability%
Any disability13.9%
Under 180.2%
18–64 years6.7%
65 and over56.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance74.7%
Public insurance37.3%
No insurance5.3%
Uninsured under 196.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,30092.8%
Spanish937.2%
Other Indo-European937.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,34596.0%
Born in same state1,34596.0%
Born in different state1,08577.4%
Foreign born00.0%
Naturalized citizen564.0%
Not a US citizen2442.9%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
English40829.1%
Arab1047.4%
Italian513.6%
AncestryCount%
Dutch362.6%
Polish171.2%
French130.9%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access36.3%
Internet access88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51238

What city is ZIP code 51238 in?

ZIP code 51238 is primarily assigned to Hospers, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51238 in?

ZIP code 51238 falls within Sioux County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 51238 family-oriented?

34% of residents in ZIP code 51238 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Is ZIP code 51238 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 51238 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51238 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 51238 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51238?

The median home value in ZIP code 51238 is $160,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 51238 in?

ZIP code 51238 observes the CST timezone.

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