51544 ZIP Code — Lewis, IA

Cass County, Iowa

ZIP code 51544 is located in Lewis, Iowa, within Cass County. It covers approximately 49.34 square miles and serves a population of 741 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51544

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 $82,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $47,500. 55% 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 51544 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

741

population

49.34

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51544 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51544

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51544. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lewis	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51535 Griswold (5.2 mi) 50022 Atlantic (7.6 mi) 51552 Marne (11.3 mi) 51532 Elliott (11.5 mi) 51577 Walnut (11.9 mi) 50843 Cumberland (12.6 mi) 50274 Wiota (14.7 mi) 51560 Oakland (15.2 mi) 51536 Hancock (15.5 mi) 51525 Carson (17.5 mi) 51531 Elk Horn (17.8 mi) 50853 Massena (17.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	741
Population density	15 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	029

Geography
Land area	49.34 sq mi
Water area	0.04 sq mi
Latitude	41.3100
Longitude	-95.0893
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	54.7%	46.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	34.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	15.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.8%	3.6%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

741

Population

People per sq mi

44.2

Median age

$47,500

Median household income

$26,090

Per capita income

$82,400

Median home value

$656

Median monthly rent

88.5%

Home ownership

8.0%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Unemployment

321

Housing units

16.1%

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	214	28.9%
18 and over	527	71.1%
65 and over	167	22.5%
Median age	44.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.6%

Two or more races 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

Group	Count	%
White	721	95.6%
Two or more races	20	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	13	1.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.7%	46.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	34.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	15.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.8%	3.6%	5.0%

Under $10k 3.3%

$10k–$15k 5.9%

$15k–$25k 9.9%

$25k–$35k 26.6%

$35k–$50k 6.3%

$50k–$75k 12.5%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 14.1%

$150k–$200k 4.6%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.3%
$10k–$15k	5.9%
$15k–$25k	9.9%
$25k–$35k	26.6%
$35k–$50k	6.3%
$50k–$75k	12.5%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	14.1%
$150k–$200k	4.6%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$47,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 34.9%

$50k–$100k 24.9%

$100k–$150k 8.6%

$150k–$200k 4.5%

$200k–$300k 19.3%

$300k–$500k 7.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$82,400
Median rent / month	$656
Owner occupied	88.5%
Renter occupied	11.5%
Vacant	14.6%
Single-family detached	90.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	4.2%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	5.9%
1990–1999	2.2%
1980–1989	3.7%
1970–1979	5.1%
1960–1969	8.1%
1950–1959	8.4%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	62.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.8%
2 bedrooms	23.3%
3 bedrooms	54.2%
4 bedrooms	19.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.6%
1 vehicle	17.4%
2 vehicles	49.0%
3 or more	26.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	62.8%
Electricity	17.4%
Propane / LP gas	15.5%
Wood	4.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	199	65.5%
Cohabiting couple	11	3.6%
Male householder, no spouse	51	16.8%
Female householder, no spouse	43	14.1%
Households with children under 18	81	26.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	157	51.6%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	9.2%	17.7%
Married	71.6%	65.9%
Separated	0.4%	0.0%
Widowed	3.0%	10.0%
Divorced	15.9%	6.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.8%

Some HS, no diploma 8.6%

HS graduate 26.5%

Some college, no degree 39.4%

Associate's degree 5.6%

Bachelor's degree 15.7%

Graduate / professional 0.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.6%
Bachelor's or higher	16.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	20	10.3%
Kindergarten	39	20.0%
Elementary school	85	43.6%
High school	49	25.1%
College / grad school	2	1.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.3%

Agriculture & mining 17.6%

Manufacturing 11.5%

Construction 10.7%

Retail trade 7.7%

Wholesale trade 7.3%

Other services 5.0%

Public administration 5.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.2%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Professional & management 2.7%

Information 2.3%

Finance & real estate 1.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.1%
Service	8.0%
Sales & office	18.0%
Natural resources & construction	20.3%
Production & transportation	9.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.0%
Government	10.0%
Self-employed	13.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.5%
Carpool	5.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	11.1%
Work from home	12.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.7

Poverty

All people 8.0%

Under 18 years 4.7%

18 and over 9.3%

Married-couple families 3.5%

Female-led households 50.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.9%
Retirement income	14.8%
Supplemental Security	2.6%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.5%
High blood pressure	35.7%
High cholesterol	36.6%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	21.3%
No physical activity	25.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.9%
Depression	17.3%
Fair or poor health	13.7%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	9.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.0%
Visited dentist	62.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	13.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	29	5.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.6%
Under 18	5.6%
18–64 years	6.7%
65 and over	21.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.8%
Public insurance	44.1%
No insurance	1.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	711	96.0%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	741	100.0%
Born in same state	739	99.7%
Born in different state	519	70.0%
Foreign born	2	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	117	15.8%
Dutch	100	13.5%
Italian	59	8%
Polish	22	3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	20	2.7%
Norwegian	17	2.3%
English	6	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.0%
Internet access	89.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51544

What city is ZIP code 51544 in?

ZIP code 51544 is primarily assigned to Lewis, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51544 in?

ZIP code 51544 falls within Cass County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51544 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 51544 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 51544 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 51544 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51544?

The median home value in ZIP code 51544 is $82,400.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 51544?

The median household income in ZIP code 51544 is $47,500, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 51544 in?

ZIP code 51544 observes the CST timezone.