50851 ZIP Code — Lenox, IA

Taylor County, Iowa

ZIP code 50851 is located in Lenox, Iowa, within Taylor County. It covers approximately 132.55 square miles and serves a population of 2,238 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50851

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 $113,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $65,660. 30% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 14 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 50851 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,238
population
132.55
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50851 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50851

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50851. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Lenox Acceptable
Lenox Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
50840 Clearfield (8.7 mi) 50862 Sharpsburg (8.8 mi) 50845 Diagonal (9.9 mi) 50859 Prescott (11.6 mi) 50801 Creston (12.1 mi) 50848 Gravity (14.1 mi) 50841 Corning (14.2 mi) 50835 Benton (14.6 mi) 50861 Shannon City (15.1 mi) 50836 Blockton (18.2 mi) 50863 Tingley (18.3 mi) 50833 Bedford (18.4 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 2,238
Population density 17 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 173
Geography
Land area 132.55 sq mi
Water area 0.53 sq mi
Latitude 40.9098
Longitude -94.5287
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 641
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 49.0% 45.1% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 29.1% 33.9% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 14.1% 16.7% 21.5%
Over $200k 7.9% 4.4% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,238
Population
17
People per sq mi
41.9
Median age
$65,660
Median household income
$31,903
Per capita income
$113,100
Median home value
$707
Median monthly rent
81.2%
Home ownership
9.7%
Poverty rate
1.8%
Unemployment
828
Housing units
16.5%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
33
Under 5
34
61
5–9
63
129
10–14
133
98
15–19
101
64
20–24
66
96
25–34
99
105
35–44
108
184
45–54
191
49
55–59
50
99
60–64
102
88
65–74
90
53
75–84
54
44
85+
45
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1858025.9%
18 and over1,65874.1%
65 and over37416.7%
Median age41.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 70.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or more races 10%
Other race 6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
GroupCount%
White1,81270.6%
Hispanic or Latino32812.8%
Two or more races25610%
Other race1536%
American Indian / Alaska Native170.7%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 49.0% 45.1% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 29.1% 33.9% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 14.1% 16.7% 21.5%
Over $200k 7.9% 4.4% 5.0%
Under $10k 2.8%
$10k–$15k 3.7%
$15k–$25k 5.2%
$25k–$35k 13.0%
$35k–$50k 14.6%
$50k–$75k 18.8%
$75k–$100k 13.5%
$100k–$150k 11.8%
$150k–$200k 11.8%
$200k+ 4.8%
Range% of households
Under $10k2.8%
$10k–$15k3.7%
$15k–$25k5.2%
$25k–$35k13.0%
$35k–$50k14.6%
$50k–$75k18.8%
$75k–$100k13.5%
$100k–$150k11.8%
$150k–$200k11.8%
$200k+4.8%
Median income$65,660

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.6%
$50k–$100k 27.5%
$100k–$150k 25.7%
$150k–$200k 14.4%
$200k–$300k 10.0%
$300k–$500k 7.7%
$500k–$1M 4.1%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$113,100
Median rent / month$707
Owner occupied81.2%
Renter occupied18.8%
Vacant14.2%
Single-family detached81.9%
Large apartment buildings4.1%
Mobile homes2.0%
Median rooms6.0
Avg household size (owned)2.72

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20196.2%
2000–20095.7%
1990–19996.5%
1980–19897.2%
1970–197918.9%
1960–19696.9%
1950–19597.3%
1940–19495.4%
1939 or earlier36.0%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom8.6%
2 bedrooms24.2%
3 bedrooms37.2%
4 bedrooms22.1%
5+ bedrooms7.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle5.7%
1 vehicle18.5%
2 vehicles34.5%
3 or more41.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas51.7%
Electricity24.0%
Propane / LP gas16.9%
Fuel oil0.2%
Wood0.4%
No fuel used1.3%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family48957.7%
Cohabiting couple202.4%
Male householder, no spouse16018.9%
Female householder, no spouse17821.0%
Households with children under 1827332.2%
Households with seniors (65+)25930.6%
Average household size2.61

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married34.5%15.4%
Married55.0%63.1%
Separated0.6%0.9%
Widowed2.2%11.8%
Divorced7.8%8.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.6%
Some HS, no diploma 6.1%
HS graduate 40.4%
Some college, no degree 21.1%
Associate's degree 10.2%
Bachelor's degree 12.3%
Graduate / professional 4.2%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher88.3%
Bachelor's or higher16.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool274.3%
Kindergarten264.2%
Elementary school29547.4%
High school19331.0%
College / grad school8213.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 27.4%
Education & healthcare 21.0%
Agriculture & mining 20.0%
Retail trade 7.2%
Other services 5.2%
Finance & real estate 5.0%
Public administration 4.5%
Construction 2.7%
Arts, food & hospitality 2.6%
Information 1.5%
Professional & management 1.5%
Transportation & utilities 0.8%
Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts31.5%
Service10.4%
Sales & office14.7%
Natural resources & construction17.6%
Production & transportation25.7%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector70.5%
Government15.0%
Self-employed13.2%
Unpaid family workers1.4%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone76.3%
Carpool15.8%
Public transit1.6%
Walk4.2%
Work from home2.0%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)14.3

Poverty

All people 9.7%
Under 18 years 7.1%
18 and over 10.6%
Married-couple families 2.2%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security30.3%
Retirement income15.9%
Supplemental Security2.7%
Cash public assistance0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP7.9%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity38.2%
High blood pressure38.0%
High cholesterol35.7%
Diabetes12.3%
Heart disease8.8%
Stroke4.0%
Asthma9.4%
Arthritis28.4%
Kidney disease3.6%
Pulmonary disease8.6%
Cancer8.1%
Behavior / access%
Smoking18.7%
Binge drinking19.2%
No physical activity30.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep31.5%
Depression17.1%
Fair or poor health16.9%
Poor mental health13.4%
Poor physical health11.7%
No health insurance13.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)75.2%
Visited dentist60.7%
Cholesterol screening88.1%
Teeth loss17.7%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans16510.0%
Disability%
Any disability10.0%
Under 184.3%
18–64 years6.0%
65 and over34.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance71.1%
Public insurance32.6%
No insurance7.7%
Uninsured under 190.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only2,17197.0%
Spanish22610.4%
Other Indo-European22610.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,98688.7%
Born in same state1,98688.7%
Born in different state1,48166.2%
Foreign born00.0%
Naturalized citizen25211.3%
Not a US citizen5823.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French30813.8%
Italian23510.5%
Arab1567%
English482.1%
AncestryCount%
Dutch391.7%
German160.7%
Polish130.6%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access37.8%
Internet access92.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50851

What city is ZIP code 50851 in?

ZIP code 50851 is primarily assigned to Lenox, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50851 in?

ZIP code 50851 falls within Taylor County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 50851 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 50851 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50851?

The median home value in ZIP code 50851 is $113,100.

Does ZIP code 50851 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 50851 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 50851?

ZIP code 50851 has an estimated population of 2,238 residents, with a density of 17 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 50851 in?

ZIP code 50851 observes the CST timezone.

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