51242 ZIP Code — Lester, IA

Lyon County, Iowa

ZIP code 51242 is located in Lester, Iowa, within Lyon County. It covers approximately 5.45 square miles and serves a population of 343 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51242

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 $170,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,932. 34% 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 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 51242 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

343
population
5.45
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
51242 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 51242

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51242. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Lester Acceptable
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 343
Population density 63 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 119
Geography
Land area 5.45 sq mi
Water area 0.00 sq mi
Latitude 43.4404
Longitude -96.3353
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 35.0% 35.8% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 48.8% 40.3% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 12.5% 21.9% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.8% 2.0% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

343
Population
63
People per sq mi
37.6
Median age
$81,932
Median household income
$36,903
Per capita income
$170,000
Median home value
$0
Median monthly rent
85.9%
Home ownership
0.9%
Poverty rate
0.0%
Unemployment
132
Housing units
21.5%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
19
Under 5
19
10
5–9
10
5
10–14
5
12
15–19
12
4
20–24
5
30
25–34
30
28
35–44
28
8
45–54
8
7
55–59
8
14
60–64
15
17
65–74
17
14
75–84
15
1
85+
2
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 188424.5%
18 and over25975.5%
65 and over6619.2%
Median age37.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 77.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Two or more races 7%
Other race 4.2%
Asian 0.5%
GroupCount%
White29877.8%
Hispanic or Latino4010.4%
Two or more races277%
Other race164.2%
Asian20.5%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 35.0% 35.8% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 48.8% 40.3% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 12.5% 21.9% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.8% 2.0% 5.0%
Under $10k 0.8%
$10k–$15k 1.6%
$15k–$25k 0.8%
$25k–$35k 1.6%
$35k–$50k 10.2%
$50k–$75k 21.1%
$75k–$100k 27.3%
$100k–$150k 22.7%
$150k–$200k 11.7%
$200k+ 2.3%
Range% of households
Under $10k0.8%
$10k–$15k1.6%
$15k–$25k0.8%
$25k–$35k1.6%
$35k–$50k10.2%
$50k–$75k21.1%
$75k–$100k27.3%
$100k–$150k22.7%
$150k–$200k11.7%
$200k+2.3%
Median income$81,932

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.8%
$50k–$100k 16.4%
$100k–$150k 13.6%
$150k–$200k 27.3%
$200k–$300k 16.4%
$300k–$500k 21.8%
$500k–$1M 0.9%
$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$170,000
Median rent / month$0
Owner occupied85.9%
Renter occupied14.1%
Vacant14.7%
Single-family detached92.7%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes0.0%
Median rooms7.5
Avg household size (owned)2.70

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20191.3%
2000–200920.0%
1990–199910.7%
1980–19894.0%
1970–197919.3%
1960–19694.0%
1950–195913.3%
1940–19490.7%
1939 or earlier26.7%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom0.0%
2 bedrooms22.0%
3 bedrooms34.7%
4 bedrooms22.7%
5+ bedrooms20.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle0.0%
1 vehicle24.2%
2 vehicles42.2%
3 or more33.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas4.7%
Electricity32.0%
Propane / LP gas53.9%
No fuel used4.7%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family9070.3%
Cohabiting couple75.5%
Male householder, no spouse2217.2%
Female householder, no spouse97.0%
Households with children under 184736.7%
Households with seniors (65+)4535.2%
Average household size2.68

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married22.9%24.4%
Married62.9%68.9%
Separated0.0%0.7%
Widowed8.6%4.4%
Divorced5.7%1.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%
Some HS, no diploma 0.4%
HS graduate 38.0%
Some college, no degree 19.0%
Associate's degree 16.9%
Bachelor's degree 18.2%
Graduate / professional 3.3%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher95.5%
Bachelor's or higher21.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool46.8%
Kindergarten35.1%
Elementary school2542.4%
High school2237.3%
College / grad school58.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 38.7%
Manufacturing 14.5%
Agriculture & mining 14.0%
Retail trade 8.1%
Construction 7.5%
Other services 6.5%
Transportation & utilities 3.2%
Wholesale trade 1.6%
Finance & real estate 1.6%
Professional & management 1.6%
Public administration 1.6%
Arts, food & hospitality 1.1%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts28.5%
Service26.3%
Sales & office14.5%
Natural resources & construction16.7%
Production & transportation14.0%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector78.5%
Government18.3%
Self-employed3.2%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone76.8%
Carpool14.7%
Public transit0.0%
Walk5.8%
Work from home2.1%
Other means0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)15.2

Poverty

All people 0.9%
Under 18 years 0.0%
18 and over 1.2%
Married-couple families 0.0%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security33.6%
Retirement income18.8%
Supplemental Security6.3%
Cash public assistance0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP11.7%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity33.2%
High blood pressure31.3%
High cholesterol31.0%
Diabetes9.1%
Heart disease6.4%
Stroke2.9%
Asthma9.0%
Arthritis23.4%
Kidney disease2.7%
Pulmonary disease6.5%
Cancer7.1%
Behavior / access%
Smoking17.3%
Binge drinking20.9%
No physical activity23.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep29.9%
Depression17.6%
Fair or poor health12.0%
Poor mental health13.3%
Poor physical health9.1%
No health insurance9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)75.8%
Visited dentist66.3%
Cholesterol screening87.5%
Teeth loss13.5%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans249.5%
Disability%
Any disability12.2%
Under 181.2%
18–64 years17.1%
65 and over12.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance72.7%
Public insurance35.6%
No insurance6.8%
Uninsured under 197.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only30588.9%
Spanish216.9%
Other Indo-European216.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)32895.6%
Born in same state31391.3%
Born in different state14642.6%
Foreign born154.4%
Naturalized citizen154.4%
Not a US citizen213.3%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
English7321.3%
Polish216.1%
Italian113.2%
AncestryCount%
Arab102.9%
French72%
Dutch30.9%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access37.3%
Internet access98.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51242

What city is ZIP code 51242 in?

ZIP code 51242 is primarily assigned to Lester, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51242 in?

ZIP code 51242 falls within Lyon County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 51242 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 51242 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51242 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 51242 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51242?

The median home value in ZIP code 51242 is $170,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 51242?

ZIP code 51242 has an estimated population of 343 residents, with a density of 63 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 51242 in?

ZIP code 51242 observes the CST timezone.

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